The Core Cold
by ElealehBlue
Summary: Sequel to 'The Halfa Hiccups'. But, you don't have to read it, to read this. Danny and Danielle get hit with the Fentons' new invention, which is designed to make ghosts sick. Will their secret stay a secret, when the ghost-cold messes with their powers, and Danny has to go to school like this? And, what about Danielle? Reveal fic, T to be safe, delusional!Danny :) Enjoy!
1. Table Of Contents

**AN: Just to get this out of the way: I do not own** ** _Danny Phantom_** **. I do not own anything in this, but the plot.**

 **Because you can't make an entire chapter that's just an author's note, I'm putting this table of contents, (which I will edit as new chapters are added,) along with a run-down of the word formatting for talking, thinking, etc.**

* * *

Table Of Contents

* * *

Table Of Contents (You Are Here)

Chapter 1: A New Kind Of Trouble

Chapter 2: Dream Weavers

Chapter 3: Red Vs. Blue

Chapter 4: Thoughts On The Matter

Chapter 5: Even When He's Sick

Chapter 6: Tucker Misses Everything

Chapter 7: Tea For Tuck

Chapter 8: The War

Chapter 9: The War Redux

Chapter 10: A Little Bit Of Drama

Chapter 11: Detention, Day 1

Chapter 12: The Core Of The Problem

Chapter 13: Adventures In Halfa-Sitting

Chapter 14: Tough As Steel

Chapter 15: It Begins, Anew

Chapter 16: "And, The Horse Will Buck"

Chapter 17: Sock It To 'Em

Chapter 18: Close Encounters Of The Nerd Kind

Chapter 19: Nerdily Spies

Chapter 20: Boxed In

Chapter 21: Sneezer Sailor Specter Guy

Chapter 22: Get Smarter

Chapter 23: Nerd-torious

Chapter 24: Not-So-Safe House

Chapter 25: Adventures In Halfa-sitting 2: The Tiny War

Chapter 26: Quantum Of Scholars

Chapter 27: Our Man Fenton

Chapter 28: Live & Let Fly

Chapter 29: Blue Storm Rising

Chapter 30: Clear & Present Danny

Chapter 31: The Fourth Period Protocol

Chapter 32: The Conversation

Chapter 33: The Afterlives Of Others

Chapter 34: A.P. Confidential

* * *

Narration

"Talking"

 _||Thinking||_

~Singing/Singsonging~

 _ **Texting**_

*Sound*

A line-break almost always means a change of POV. I didn't specify _whose_ POV, though. So, if it gets too confusing, let me know and I'll see about adding POV titles.

* * *

 **AN: This takes place somewhere between** ** _D-Stabilized_** **and** ** _Phantom Planet_** **.** ** _Phantom Planet_** **will probably never happen, in this series. If it does, it's likely going to be a very big variation, and a very big surprise to me.**

 **This is the direct sequel to my other fic,** ** _The Halfa Hiccups_** **. THH and TCC are the first two in my series,** ** _The Trio Troubles_** **. You don't have to read THH, to read this. But, reading the last two chapters of it might shed some light on things, if you get lost. Don't worry, though. They're not too long.**

 **Also, while I've got you here, this one will be a bit less cannon, and a bit more of my personal theories. I did not like the way Danny just let his biologically-twelve-but-chronologically-one-and-a-half clone wander off to care for herself. I know she's capable, but that doesn't mean I like her being a lonely kid, living on the streets, stealing food to survive, when we all know Danny's family would take her in, in a heartbeat. So this is going to have a bit of familial fluff in it, as well. But, that should be dampened by crazy. Hope it's not too bad. :)**

 **So, this fic will contain a** ** _lot_** **of POV changes and characters' thoughts. It will also contain several fluffy moments, and a lot of sick/delusional Danny and Danielle. So, if you don't like that kinda stuff, this is not the fic for you.**

 **Cover was made with GIMP and a base by PartyBases. (Yes, I know Danny's hair looks awful. I tried.) I used PurlyZig's Snowflake Brushes and Project-GimpBC & redheadstock's Lightning Brushes to make the background. You can find PartyBases, PurlyZig, Project-GimpBC, and redheadstock by those names on DeviantArt, (which I do not own,) or you can find redheadstock & PartyBases anywhere else under the screennames ObsidianDawn & devAT-Bases, respectively. Check these guys out, they're awesome! :))**

 **Cutiepie120048: I couldn't reply to your review, but here ya go! :) Thank you, so much! :)))**

 **With that said:  
God bless  
I hope you enjoy  
And, on with the show! :)**


	2. 1: A New Kind Of Trouble

**Chapter 1:**  
 **A New Kind Of Trouble**

* * *

"DANNY-BOY!" Danny's father shouted, running up the basement steps. Danny's little clone/cousin flew up the stairs, (literally,) shutting herself in Danny's bedroom, just as the boy's father bounded into the living room. The big man skidded to a halt in front of his two children and began talking excitedly, as usual. But, Danny barely had the energy to even _pretend_ to listen.

Jack Fenton, oblivious as ever, failed to notice the frozen wall directly to his right, or the large amount of sniffling coming from his son and from his son's bedroom above him. Instead, he blabbered on for ten minutes, then shouted something excited Danny couldn't quite make sense of, before running back down to his basement/lab. All the while, Danny just stood there, sniffling and wiping his nose. He was just glad he hadn't sneezed, though he couldn't quite remember _why_ he was glad.

Just as his dad was leaving, his mom came to the kitchen door, immediately noticing just how lousy he felt. "Oh, Sweetheart. You look _awful_. You really shouldn't have stayed up all night, like that. Don't think it's going to get you out of school, though, young man," She chided, playfully, tapping one finger on the tip of his nose. She pulled him into a warm hug, and it felt so good, he wished it would last forever.

But, it didn't. It didn't even last three seconds. "Danny! You're freezing! And, is that _gum_ in your hair? You get up those stairs and take a nice, hot shower. Right now, mister," She said, giving him another hug and kissing him on the head. The boy just sniffled again.

Something crashed downstairs, and Danny heard his dad shout something. "I'll be right there!" His mom answered, before heading towards the basement door. She disappeared, but popped her head back through the doorway to say something Danny couldn't hear. He vaguely registered his sister's voice beside him, before his mom left.

Tired and sniffling, Danny made his way up the stairs and to the shower. He didn't know how long he was in there, but it was so _warm_ , he didn't care. Then he wandered back out, wearing pajamas he didn't remember putting on, and collapsed into his bed, hugging the teddy bear he didn't remember having.

Funny. It hugged him back.

* * *

Jazz walked into the living room, _intending_ to tell Danny something about child psychology that he probably would've pretended to listen to, then forgotten about, entirely. She never got the chance though, as she noticed that the bottom of the stairs were _frozen solid_. Then, Danny's clone had come through the wall and sneezed a lightning bolt.

||' _Sneezed_ _a_ _lightning_ _bolt_ _.'||_ Honestly, it amazed her what had become of her life. She sounded like a lunatic.

Then, her father had run up from the basement/lab, talking about his new invention that would make ghosts sick, and the lightning-clone disappeared up the frozen stairs.

Jazz wondered a moment if she had hit her head, then shook that train of thought off and turned her attention back to her father.

The big man never noticed the ice, or the fact that Danny didn't seem to be listening. Not that a lack of attention had ever been a deterrent to Jack Fenton. He just kept blathering on about how the ' _Fenton BOO-ger_ ' -

 _||Seriously?||_

\- had already taken down three ghosts, and they would be out of commission for the next few days. Jazz had a bad feeling that the BOO-ger -

 _||Again,_ _seriously_ _?||_

\- was the thing her mom had hit Danny with, earlier. Her theory was proven, when her father began bragging about his invention taking out the ectopus (which her parents had captured and locked in the basement Saturday) and _both_ of the Phantom kids.

The whole town knew of the younger Phantom, now. Ever since she had helped Danny fight Desiree, a couple weeks back. Danny had told Jazz about her, but she hadn't had the chance to talk to her much yet. The little ghost-girl had flown off, dramatically, shortly after the fight. (Apparently, she had a habit of doing that.) That had been almost two months ago, and they hadn't heard from her. Jazz may not have really known the girl, but she knew she was too young to be living on her own, and she had to admit she was concerned.

The redhead snapped back to the present, when her father shouted about checking on the sick ectopus and bounded back out of the room, shaking the floor, slightly. She froze, feeling herself pale, when her mother came in.

 _||Weird. Mom hasn't noticed the icy stairs, either.||_ Her mother might have been oblivious about _some_ things, (like the fact that one of her children was _half ghost_...) but she wasn't so oblivious she would miss something sitting right in front of her.

Usually.

Jazz, watched her mother fuss over her little brother. Poor Danny seemed barely-conscious. She paled even more, when Maddie noticed Danny's low temperature. He'd been getting colder, lately, ever since his core had matured enough for him to use his ice powers. But, Frostbite had assured them that he was perfectly healthy. Up until now, their parents hadn't noticed, and Danny had insisted that he didn't even _feel_ cold.

Jazz heard her dad shout for her mom, and watched the older woman head in that direction. She jumped when her mother stuck her head back into the doorway. "Jazz, Dear, you look a little pale. Are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah, Mom. I guess I'm just tired," She said, hoping she didn't sound as nervous to her mother as she did to herself.

"Okay, Sweetie." Her mom left, and she turned to see her brother slowly _floating_ up the _non-frozen_ stairs. She followed him up and into his room, afraid the wobbly boy would fall. She got him some pajamas, put them on the bathroom counter, and sent the half-ghost in to wash off. She went to her room to grab her phone and call Sam and Tucker.

When she came back, she found Danny (who had apparently phased himself dry, judging by the puddle in the bathroom floor,) and his clone sound asleep. They were huddled together in Danny's bed, hugging each other like their lives depended on it.

 _||Err... Afterlives... Half-Lives?||_ The redhead shook her head, dislodging that line of thinking. This road only ever led to Headache-ville

Like their _existences_ depended on it. She smiled, softly, as the little, dark-haired girl yawned and snuggled into Danny's chest.

Then, she snapped a picture. Hey, it was cute, and you never knew when a little blackmail might come in handy.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Sam stood in front of the other two members of Team Phantom, who were sitting in Danny's bedroom floor. She and Tucker had come in and snapped their own pictures of the 'identical cousins', (for future purposes,) stifling giggles along with Jazz. And, now, the three were trying to figure out a way to get Danny through (or _out of_ ) school, with his secret still intact.

Of course, at the biological age of eighteen, (and the psychological age of one hundred and three, according to Danny,) Jazz wasn't still in high school, exactly. She had spent an entire week at her dream college, before realizing that Massachusetts was just _way_ too quiet, in comparison to Amity Park. (Seriously. One day, she was kicking ghost butt, in a haunted town. And, the next, she was studying, nearly 24/7, on a campus where the scariest thing was the near-constant string of mind-meltingly bad pick-up lines. It was too much, even for her.) Soon enough, the self-proclaimed 'sane Fenton' found herself homesick for Crazytown. So, she opted for the school's online classes. It might not be the same, but a degree was a degree, and she'd always studied better on her own, anyhow.

Upon her return, to give her something to do when there were no ghosts around and help pay off her tuition, she'd taken a job as the high school's new librarian. (The previous one had finally gotten fed up with the ghosts, and moved away.) But, with Spectra gone, no replacement counselor hired, and Jazz's personal track-record for helping other students out in the past, she had become the unofficial, replacement school counselor. She didn't get paid for it, but she didn't mind. This way, she figured, she could practice for the job she loved, while looking out for the little brother she loved.

"Okay, -" Sam began, attempting to voice her idea, but was interrupted.

"Let's drop a giant water balloon on the place," Tucker suggested, waving his arms around, to emphasize the absolute brilliance of his plan. Sam face-palmed. The techno-geek was now exhausted to the point of partial-delusion, and they were all suffering for it.

"- _Or_ ," she emphasized, slowly, looking the boy in the eye to make sure she penetrated the haze of sleep-deprivation. "You could do your geek magic, and set off the school's ghost alarm. That should, at least, give us a couple extra hours, to come up with a _real_ plan."

Tucker gasped. "That's genius," He breathed. "Are you... a _magician_?" His eyes sparkled with child-like awe, and Jazz wondered if _he_ had hit his head.

* * *

Unfortunately, Tucker could _not_ set off the ghost alarms with his 'geek magic'. Not in his current state. But, he _did_ manage to trigger the electronic locks on the school doors, and hack into the outer security cameras.

Normally, the doors only locked at night, to keep the (incredibly rare) human intruders at bay. But, not today. Today they earned Team Phantom a whole hour, when they locked themselves, and filled the internet with footage of Mr. Lancer pulling at their handles and shouting angry book titles. And, Team phantom had a front-row seat, via Sec-cam #6. They could all say it was to keep an eye on things from HQ, but they knew it was just because torturing Lancer was funny.

" _The Forgotten Door_ , people! Let me in!" The students outside, as well as the few students who were currently stuck _inside_ , couldn't help but laugh. And, pull out their cameras. Oh, this would _definitely_ be going in the yearbook. Only the _kids_ saw Youngblood turn the door intangible, but _everyone_ saw Lancer fall through, landing on his face. The little ghost giggled, obnoxiously, and flew away, leaving the overweight teacher stuck halfway through the still-locked doors. " _The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe_! LET ME OUT!"

It was a short hour, but it was enough for Sam and Jazz to form a basic plan of attack. And, to put the kids of Casper High in fairly-good spirits, (* _Badum tss_ *) for the rest of the day.

* * *

 **AN: Hey, everybody! :)**

 **I do not own** ** _The Forgotten Door_** **by Alexander Key, (unless you count the copy on my nightstand,) or** ** _The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe_** **by C. S. Lewis. I** ** _will_** **recommend them, however, to anyone who likes fantasy, science fiction, and/or the supernatural. Which, if you're reading Danny Phantom fan fiction, you probably do. :)**

 **Also, I've noticed that the scene with Danny and Danielle might seem a bit like slash. It is not. It's fluff. It's the fluff, the whole fluff, and nothing but the fluff. If there is any romance in this fic, (which I strongly doubt will happen, because I have too many bigger story-arcs to go through, to bother with that kind of thing,) it will, most likely, be DannyXSam.**

 **As always,  
God bless, and I hope you enjoyed! :)  
\- Ellie**


	3. 2: Dream Weavers

**Chapter 2:**  
 **Dream Weavers**

* * *

Danny had weird dreams. Though, some of them were really more like hazy memories. He nearly woke himself up half a dozen times, dreaming The Box Ghost had come into his room and trying to fight him off. Thankfully, he hadn't hit Ellie, by mistake. (Not that it really mattered. She kept kicking him, anyway.) One of the memory-dreams had happened only two weeks before.

He had been fighting Desiree, and having a hard time. She had, apparently, tricked some unwitting bystander into wishing her stronger, and, for some reason, wishing her into the thermos didn't work anymore. "Dude," Memory-Tucker said. "Maybe you should wish for some backup." He had meant it as a joke, and Sam had 'accidentally' hit him with a wrist-ray for it, but Danny had seen the brilliance in the idea.

" _Okay_ ," He said, smirking. "Hey, Desiree!" He shouted, and the now-giant ghost, who had been busy laughing maniacally, turned her attention back to the ghost-boy. "I wish I had some backup."

"What? No, no! Wait!" Desiree shouted, as her magic fulfilled the wish, involuntarily. Suddenly, she was surrounded by four more ghosts, as Princess Dora, Wulf, _Danielle_ Phantom, and Pandora appeared.

Danny was just glad she hadn't poofed up an army of trucks, going in reverse.

The battle had taken all of two minutes, after that. Then, Sam had asked why they hadn't just wished Desiree tiny, or something, and Danny sucked the ghost-genie into the Fenton Thermos, rubbing the back of his neck, sheepishly. He, really, just hadn't thought of it.

They had had a good afternoon, after that, talking with their friends. None of them had seen Wulf or Dani in a while, and they all had a picnic together.

Wait... No, that wasn't right... Danny had thanked them all, and they had left pretty soon after the battle, telling Danny to call on them again, if he ever needed help.

Why had he though they'd had a _picnic_?

Dani had stayed a little longer, announcing to Team Phantom that she was shedding her past with Vlad, completely. No offense to Danny, but the name 'Danielle' left a bad taste in her mouth, thanks to 'Dear, Old Dad'.

"It's 'Ellie', now," The memory-girl stated, proudly, showing off her ghost half's new outfit. The old hazmat suit, (which Danny had to admit could get incredibly uncomfortable to fight in,) had been traded out for a white belly-shirt under a black leather jacket with a stylized 'E' on the left front pocket, black cargo shorts, and white combat boots. She'd ditched the gloves altogether, saying they made her hands too sweaty. "From now on, I shall be known as 'Sarah Elizabeth..." She had started boldly, but trailed off, not having decided on a last name.

"Fenton'," Danny finished, a bit quickly. "U-uh... If you want... that is," He blushed, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. The other members of Team phantom smiled and nodded, as the little ghost-girl nearly teared up, tackling her 'cousin' in a bear hug, before flying off into the sunset.

* * *

Then, the dream faded out, to be replaced by another. Thankfully, though, this one wasn't a memory. Danny didn't know what he would've done if this had _actually_ happened.

* * *

He was in a big, Ghost-Zone-doors purple room. Technus was wearing an apron and decorating a Christmas tree, while Walker and Clockwork sat on a couch, eating popcorn and yelling at a ghost football game. Skulker gave Sam a piggy-back ride to the top of a palm tree, to get some bananas, while Ember and Pandora braided Tucker and Desiree's hair.

 _||Since when does Tuck have a mullet?||_ Danny wondered, absently.

Suddenly, Box Ghost and Lunch lady burst through the door and announced their engagement. Desiree poofed them up a tux and gown, and Danny turned to find that the other side of the room was now a makeshift wedding chapel. GhostWriter was the minister, and, as Walker walked The Lunch Lady down the aisle, Ember played a spooky rendition of _The Wedding March_ on her guitar.

As the two ghostly love-birds joined hands, GhostWriter began the ceremony, by skipping right to the end. "Do you, Eugina Rose, take Harold to be your hauntfully-wedded husband?"

Lunch Lady looked away, coyly. She fluttered her lashes and blushed, ever-so-slightly. "I boo," She answered.

"And, do you, Jamison Arnaldo, take Geraldine Ledbetter to be your hauntfully-wedded wife?"

Boxy batted his lashes and blushed in the same way as his about-to-be wife. "I boo."

"By the power invested in me, by the fact the I'm a know-it-all," In a puff of smoke, a small bassinet appeared between them. "I now pronounce you 'Mom' and 'Dad'." More smoke, and Box Lunch appeared. "You may kiss the baby."

* * *

"So, that's how that happened," Danny mumbled in his sleep.

"How what happened?" Ellie asked, snuggling against her big 'cousin'. He was so _cool_ , and she felt _way_ too hot.

"Box Lunch," The boy answered. He didn't know why his teddy bear was talking to him, be he really didn't care. He hugged her closer. She was so _warm_ , and he was so, _so_ _cold_.

"Oh," The littlest halfa replied, not really knowing what that meant.

"Ew," Sam and Jazz piped up from across the room, pausing in their planning.

* * *

Danny's thoughts were swirling around in his head, like rain-flavored taffy. At least, that's how he would describe it. Jazzy had pulled him out of bed and made him get dressed. But, it was so _**cold**_.

 _||When did it turn winter?||_ He wondered, hazily. He heard his sister saying something, but only made out a few words.

 _||Hoodie? Jazzy said something about a hoodie. A hoodie would be nice. A hoodie in a microwave. Warm and toasty.||_

As Jazzy tried to put the hoodie on him, she kept telling him to hold still. He thought he was. He whined, and tried to settled. But, he felt bad, and he had a headache, and he was confused, and he just wanted to get back into bed and hug his talking teddy bear. He was about to complain to Jazz about it, when his head popped through the neck-hole of the hoodie to reveal, not his big sister, but a giant, talking turkey leg. He didn't remember painting his room forest-green, but at least it matched the bits of now-green bubblegum he could see still stuck in his hair, cluttered in the bangs that were dangling in his eyes.

He heard someone talking, and looked over and see Sammy come in with Ellie in her arms. The little girl reached for him, mumbling something about it being too hot.

 _||Hot? What's she talking about? It's_ _freezing_ _,||_ He though, incredulous. He heard Sammy say something about a fever.

 _||Poor Ellie, she must be sick,||_ He realized.

He waited for Turkey Leg to finish doing whatever she was doing to his hair, then tried to give Ellie a hug, to make her feel better. Heaven knew _he_ was cold enough to bring down a fever, but he tripped over the pajama pants he'd left in the floor, landing on his poor tummy.

 _||This is such a nice floor. Why don't I ever sleep here?||_ He thought, his eyes drooping closed, before a huge shiver racked his body, and knocked them open again.

Sammy and Turkey Leg helped him up, and sat him on the end of the bed. He watched them talk for a minute, since he couldn't make out what they were actually saying, then the three girls left the room.

* * *

"What's taking so long, Jazz? We should've been there fifteen minutes ago," Sam complained, walking into the room carrying Ellie. The half-asleep little girl whined and squirmed, reaching for Danny again, mumbling about it being too hot. Her nose was running, and she had a bit of a fever. Not to mention the fact that, every time she sneezed, something got charred. Thankfully, though, it was nothing that couldn't be explained away with a ghost attack or one of the Fentons' inventions malfunctioning.

Fenton-damage was almost as common as ghost-damage. And, the local police could often be overheard placing bets on which was the cause at the latest scene-of-destruction.

Tucker had successfully gone home and convinced his parents he was sick, getting their permission to stay home alone, all day, while they were at work. (It wasn't difficult, since he felt nearly as bad as he looked, and he looked pretty bad.) This freed him up to take care of Ellie, while Sam and Jazz dealt with Danny at school. (Or, Danny _and_ school. Depending on how you looked at it.)

At least, that was the plan. How it would turn out, Sam had no idea.

Jazz was just forcing a hooded sweatshirt down over Danny's head, so he would quit whining to get back under the blankets. Hoodies of all different colors had become the boy's usual fashion-choice outside of the house, to hide any damage from his ghost-fights. Though, he still liked to wear his favorite, red-and-white t-shirts, when he was at home. (As long as his parents weren't around, and/or he wasn't hiding any too-serious injuries.)

Jazz picked up a comb and some baby oil to tackle the mess of gum and black fuzz that _used_ to be her brother's hair. He was putting up a fight. (Though, thankfully, not a _ghostly_ fight. Just an _incredibly_ _annoying_ one.) "I'm doing the best I can!" She snapped at her goth friend, her hair nearly as crazy as her brother's. "Danny, hold still!" The boy whined, but settled a little, as Jazz bit back a wave of jealousy at the sight of Ellie. You could tell the little half-ghost still felt bad, but she was clean and fed, and there wasn't a speck of bubblegum to be found on her _or_ Sam. Jazz and her brother would be lucky not to get a home visit.

* * *

While Jazz did her best to get Danny ready to go, Sam tried to figure out what to do for the halfas. "Ellie has a cough, runny nose, general malaise, exhaustion, _fussiness_ ,-" She emphasized, as the girl squirmed in her arms, again. "-and a slight fever. What about him?" She completed, nodding towards the boy on the bed. Ellie really didn't want to settle down, and Sam was afraid she would climb back into bed and mess up all the work she'd done on her hair.

 _||Honestly, she's worse than Danny,||_ The goth girl thought, ruefully.

"Same, but without the fever. He keeps shivering, and hugging me. Kinda sweet, but makes it hard to get gum out of his hair. He _was_ calling me 'Jazzy', like when we were little. But, now, he keeps calling me 'Turkey Leg'. Not sure how to take that," Jazz answered, then paused, picking at a particularly stubborn chunk of bubblegum. Sam nodded, as though ghost illnesses and delusions were a completely normal topic of conversation. Which, for them, it basically was. "He seems to be a bit delusional. But, I'm not sure if that's from illness or sleep-deprivation," The redhead finished.

"Could be both," Sam noted, as the three girls turned to stare at the short halfa. He just stared back, and sniffled.

* * *

After what seemed like a millennium, Jazz finally got her brother's hair (somewhat) under control. "Okay," She said, half to herself, as she stood. Danny moved to get up, but his feet got tangled in the pajama pants he'd thrown in the floor and Jazz had left there, because she had bigger things to worry about. After she and Sam helped him up, sitting him back on the edge of the bed, she headed for her family's medicine cabinet, Sam following behind her.

"Ugh. Which one do we use?" Jazz asked, digging through the many various bottles of cold and allergy medicine. She had quite a headache coming on, herself. _Mental_ illness was her area of expertise. Not snot.

"Let me see," Sam ordered. Jazz stepped aside, taking Ellie, as the goth looked through the bottles. The little ghost-girl laid her head on the redhead's shoulder, and Jazz found herself petting her hair. She'd always wanted a little sister... "Okay, this should work for both of them," Sam said, pulling out a bottle of brown cough syrup. "Ellie can take the children's version, so we can leave it with Tucker," She added, pulling out a smaller, purple bottle, of the same brand.

Jazz nodded, then looked at the label. "Danny's not gonna like this. He _hates_ that stuff."

"Too bad. It's for his own good," The goth girl said, marching back toward her friend's bedroom.

"Easy for _you_ to say," Jazz muttered, under her breath. " _You're_ not the one who just spent ten minutes trying to put his _hoodie_ on."

They sighed, upon reaching the room. Danny was in his bed, huddled under the covers, clinging to them like a life-line. The two older girls took this opportunity to take more (blackmail) pictures, before dragging the whining halfa out of bed, and out the door.

* * *

Ten seconds after they'd gone, Maddie Fenton peeked out of the kitchen. "Was that the kids?"

Her husband appeared behind her. "I SURE _HOPE_ SO. THEY'RE GONNA BE LATE FOR SCHOOL."

"I can't _believe_ they stayed up all night. Especially Jazz... And, to _test a_ _theory_."

"YOU SOUND SURPRISED. TWO BRILLIANT MINDS LIKE OURS, AND YOU THINK THEY DIDN'T INHERIT ANY OF IT?" He asked, putting an enormous hand on her tiny shoulder. "FACE IT, BABY! YOU'RE A GENIUS!"

"Oh-ho-ho. Jack," She giggled, flattered, before reaching up to kiss her darling husband.

* * *

 **AN: Hey, Everybody! :)**

 **I know I usually only update on Fridays, but I thought I'd post an extra chapter, just to say 'Happy Halloween'! :D So, here's a healthy dose of my strange imagination, to give you nightmares ;) Seriously, though, I hope everyone has fun today, and stays safe! :)**

 **Is the switching back and forth annoying? Because I wanted to show Danny was seeing, and what was actually happening. Anyhow, lemme know what ya think! :)**

 **As always,  
God bless, and I hope you enjoyed! :)  
\- Ellie**


	4. 3: Red Vs Blue

**Chapter 3:**  
 **Red Vs. Blue**

* * *

Sam and Jazz dropped Ellie off with Tucker, leaving him to deal with her medicine. They had enough to deal with giving Danny his.

* * *

"Just open your mouth, already!" Sam snapped at the blue-eyed boy leaned against her locker. Danny shut his mouth tight and shook his head. He immediately regretted this, because it made him _very_ dizzy.

He caught himself on the lockers, face green and mouth hanging open, in nausea. Suddenly, Sam vanished, and was replaced by a giant, angry frog. The green being took the chance and shoved the spoonful of nasty into his mouth. He nearly spit it out, but the Froggy and Turkey Leg suddenly had their hands over his mouth. The looks they were giving him advised him to swallow. No matter _how_ much he didn't want to.

He did, and they let go.

 _||That is the most disgusting stuff I have ever disgusted,||_ He thought, blearily. He wondered if he'd spoken aloud, because Froggy and Turkey Leg were looking at him funny, and they kept getting taller.

Then, they grabbed his wrists and dragged him down a long, red hallway, full of strange creatures. It looked a lot like the Ghost Zone, actually. The creatures looked at him funny, too. Especially the red duck, with the buzz cut. But, he supposed that was just how giant, talking, rubber ducks looked in the rain.

He didn't like the rain. He was so cold, and being wet made it worse.

* * *

Sam and Jazz covered Danny's mouth, to try and get him to swallow the medicine. He did.

"Alabama got no oranges, Mable," He mumbled, after they'd removed their hands, rubbing his bleary eyes. "Turkey Leg ate my socks." He let his legs slide out from under him, sitting on the floor.

The two girls stared at him a moment. "Why did you eat his socks?"

"I didn't eat his socks," Jazz defended. They turned back to the boy to find him staring at them, blankly, a string of drool leaking from one corner of his mouth. Shaking their heads, they dragged him off to class. The other kids in the halls gave them odd looks, but that was nothing new.

"Bread. Feed the duckies." Suddenly, water splashed the sick half-ghost's face. Sam and Jazz looked over to see Dash Baxter standing next to the water fountain.

" _Oops_ ," He said, sarcastically. "Guess the fountain's busted, again. Too bad for you, Fentina," The jock laughed, but headed for class, at the sight of the principal rounding the corner.

He got off lucky. Sam had been about to kill him.

* * *

Tucker didn't know why Sam and Jazz had made such a big deal. Sure, babysitting Ellie wasn't easy, at first. She did not want to take her medicine, and she was a bit grumpy, to boot. But, that was only because she felt bad. Tucker knew how hateful he could be when he felt bad. And, sneezing lightning bolts probably hurt, so he really didn't blame her, there.

He'd, finally, gotten her to take the cough medicine, though, once she found out it was grape-flavored. (Apparently, grapes were her favorite, right after peanut butter.) She'd then opened the freezer-drawer of his family's fridge, realized it was cold in there, and decided that it was a good place to nap.

Tucker had quickly followed suit, collapsing on the couch in a heap. From there, he reasoned, he could keep an eye on the little ghost-girl while awake, but still be able to hear her if he fell asleep.

Which he did.

* * *

"Ellie, Dear!" A woman's voice called. "Breakfast!"

"Coming!" She called back, jumping out of bed and running to the top of the stairs. Looking down over the railing, she saw the Fentons' living room. Except, instead of a couch and TV, it held a kitchen table and chairs. And, sitting around the table, looking back up at her, were the Fentons, Sam, and Tucker.

"Ellie!" The dream-family shouted. They were all so happy to see her.

"Come on, baby sister. Food's getting cold," Dream-Danny said, holding up the one piece of bacon he'd been able to get away from Dream-Tucker and Dream-Jack, before taking a bite.

The girl at the top of the stairs just smiled. She could stay in this moment, forever.

"WELL? WHAT'RE YOU WAITING FOR? NO DAUGHTER OF _MINE_ GOES SUPERHEROING, HUNGRY!" Dream-Jack shouted, his huge grin nearly covering his face.

"Yeah, Bitty-Boo," Tucker added, around a mouthful of pancakes and bacon. Ellie wished she could say she hated the nickname/terrible pun, but she really didn't. "Time to chow down," He held his fork up in the air, like it was a sword, and he was a knight, charging into battle.

She ran down the stairs, getting good morning kisses from her 'parents', and settled in between Dream-Jazz and Dream-Sam. Dream-Tucker reached over to ruffle her hair, and she stole a piece of his bacon.

"Hey!" He shouted. The others at the table laughed.

"Nice one," Danny chuckled, while Tucker mumbled about 'crimes against carnivorousness'.

"SO, PRINCESS, ARE YOU EXCITED FOR YOUR FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL?" Jack asked, not bothering to swallow first. Several others at the table picked their plates up, to avoid the abc bacon shrapnel.

"I guess so," She said, uncertainly. "Are you _sure_ I can't go to school with Danny and Jazz?" She looked pleadingly at her 'mother'.

"Well, I suppose we could have you tested for a higher grade..." Dream-Maddie mused. "But, wouldn't you be happier in a class with kids your own age?"

"Yeah," Danny put in. "High school's boring. Middle school's _way_ better."

"Really?"

Affirmatives rose from all around the table. "Totally, Bitty-Boo," Tucker said, mouth blessedly empty, this time. "It's got recess," He listed. "At least, Amity Middle School does. It's got _way_ better food," He stopped to take a bite of the pancakes that were now a hamburger.

"They have better sea foam and confetti," Sam put in. Ellie had no idea what that had to do with school, but she decided to roll with it.

"Their library's not the best," Jazz added. "But, you can always tag along with me to the high school's library." She took a sip of her iced tea. "Or, the public library, for that matter."

"I still say they can't call it a _real_ library, until it has a spaceship. How can you even _call_ it a place of education, if you can't learn about the stars, firsthand?" Danny complained, waving his arms around. He nearly stabbed Tucker's hand with his fork, when the techno-geek tried to steal one of his pancakes. Tucker jerked his impossibly-long arm back across the table, cradling his hand, as though it'd been bitten.

"You're just mad they wouldn't let you borrow their big, orange telescope," The techno-geek said, sticking his nose in the air and continuing to hug his hand.

"Yeah, Danny. If you _really_ wanted to learn about the stars, you'd look at more spiders. _Everyone_ knows spiders have star charts on their backs," Sam stated, matter-of-factly.

" _Really?_ " Danny and Ellie asked, in clone-ish wonder, as the rest of the table's occupants nodded, sagely.

"Sure. You just have to hold them up to the light, and the pinholes in their exoskeletons will show a little piece of it. Put together one of each species of spider, and you'd have a map of the entire universe," She explained, finishing up her rainbow-marshmallow salad. "Of course, no one's ever done it, before."

The table's occupants were quiet a moment.

"I THINK YOU KNOW WHAT _THIS_ MEANS," Jack said, slyly.

"Family road trip to find magic spiders!" They all chorused, throwing their arms up, victoriously.

And, suddenly, they were in the rainforest.

* * *

Homeroom for the Trio was in Lancer's English classroom, and, since it was Monday and English with Lancer was right after homeroom, Sam wouldn't have to drag Danny down the hallways again, until nine. For what was possibly the first time in her life, the goth was _glad_ to get to homeroom early. No one else was there yet, and if one of the teachers noticed that Danny was sick, they might send him home. Or, _worse_ , call his parents.

Sam shuddered at the thought of what the Fentons' anti-ghost-illness cures might look like, and what they might do to a half-ghost boy. Sure, Mr. and Mrs. Fenton would _never_ do anything to hurt Danny, _intentionally_. But, they were, kinda, the reason he was in this mess in the first place. And, they didn't really listen, all that well.

Not when it came to ghosts, at least. On that subject, they were more shoot/dissect/study/examine/hunt/experiment first, ask questions never. Well, they asked _each other_ questions, but not the ghosts.

Danny sat at his desk, pale, shivering, and sopping wet. Sam _really_ wanted to kill Dash, but she stayed where she was. As delusional as Danny was, right then, he might wander off and get himself into an even _bigger_ mess, if she didn't keep an eye on him. She was beginning to wish she'd left him with Jazz, but the redheaded 'Turkey Leg' had insisted they were already late, and rushed off to the library.

Sam held back a snicker at the delusional nickname. 'Froggy' wasn't any better, but it didn't make Jazz's expression any less hilarious.

 ***Thud***

She looked over to see the blue-eyed halfa face-down on his desk. His body wracked with the force of a huge shiver, and frost began to form across the wet parts of his hoodie, followed by snowflake patterns in the soggier spots. Sam looked around, alarmed, checking for any wandering eyes.

There were none. She had a bad feeling, though. Class didn't start for another ten minutes, and they were having eerily-good luck. On a normal Monday, they'd have seen Boxy _at least_ three times, by this point.

 _||Funny,||_ She thought, reaching into her bag for the extra hoodie she'd brought, because she knew Danny's clothes rarely lasted a whole day.

 _All_ _the ghosts have been pretty quiet, lately. Danny's ghost sense hasn't even gone off today,||_ She shrugged. She wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, but she also wouldn't trust that horse not to buck at the worst possible moment.

 _||And, the horse_ _will_ _buck. It always does. I'll just have to ride out the paranoia-inducing calm, and deal with disaster, whenever it chooses to strike.||_ She started removing Danny's dry-but-icy hoodie, to replace it with the fresh one.

The boy put up quite a fight. "Vive los muertos!" He shouted, in Spanish. Danny didn't even _take_ Spanish, and, from the little Sam knew, he'd just shouted a morbid contradiction, that suited him pretty well.

She finally got the old hoodie off of him, shoving it into her spider backpack. The tiny Junior reached for it, whimpering and looking like he might cry. She held him off, then set to work on the fresh one.

 _||Vive los muertos,||_ She thought, struggling to get his arm into the first sleeve.

 _||Long live the dead.||_

She was still wrestling with him, when the warning bell rang, and students began to file in. Thankfully, though, most of his leftover bruises were already healed, and this town was weird enough that no one really payed the two much attention. (Aside from mumbling about 'love-birds', under their breaths, but a steely-eyed glare from Sam quickly silenced that.)

She forced neck-hole down over the confused boy's head and settled into her desk, just as Mr. Lancer walked in. No one knew how the man had gotten out of the front door, but the whole ordeal had left him in a _very_ bad mood. Thankfully, though, the man didn't seem to notice anything out-of-the-ordinary about Danny. But, to be fair, who even knew what 'ordinary' was, in Amity Park.

Lancer called the class to attention, and turned to scribble something, angrily, on the board. Sam looked over to see Danny sound asleep and drooling on his desk. She leaned back and debated catching some Z's, herself, but decided against it. If something went wrong, she needed to be awake for it.

Sadly, her body disagreed with that sentiment. She didn't last ten minutes.

* * *

Danny didn't have any clue what was going on. That nasty stuff Froggy and Turkey Leg made him eat made him feel a little better, but everything was still kinda swirly.

Then, Turkey Leg left and Froggy tried to take his hoodie. It might have been frozen, but it was still warmer than no hoodie. He fought his best, trying to reason with his opponent. ("But, it's so cold. Please, let me keep my hoodie, Froggy!") But, she didn't seem to understand. In the end, she took his little friend, and the poor sweatshirt cried out to him, as Froggy fed it to her pet spider. Danny nearly cried.

Then, Froggy tried to _replace_ the dear, dear, fuzzy, red friend he'd just lost. With a _blue_ one. How _dare_ she. Blue would not do. He wanted the red one back.

He fought some more, but lost again, when Froggy's reinforcements arrived. The creatures from the hall crowded into the space around the two. Giggling. Shouting. Distracting him. Talking about birds.

The traitorous blue fabric forced itself over his head, and an angry, hairless goat walked into the room on it's hind legs, carrying a coffee mug. Danny felt bad for betraying Red Hoodie, like this, but he couldn't help himself. Blue Hoodie was so _warm_ , and Goat Man's voice was so dull and buzzy, and he was _so_ _sleepy_.

Despite his best efforts, and against his better judgment, he let himself slip away, into another sea of strange dreams.

* * *

Valerie Gray was not stupid. It had been two months since she'd helped rescue the little half-ghost girl.

Two months since she'd discovered that half-ghosts even _existed_.

Two months since she'd discovered that Vlad _Masters_ and Vlad _Plasmius_ were one and the same.

Two months since she'd realized who _Danielle's_ human half looked like.

Two months since she'd started to notice the similarities.

 _||They're never around at the same time.||_

 _||They could be_ _twins_ _.||_

 _||Phantom uses Fenton technology.||_

 _||What other teenage boy is sweet, and kind-hearted, and selfless enough to put himself on the line, every day?||_

Two months since she'd tried to _forget_ that line of thinking.

Two months since she'd been messing around with a picture of Phantom on the computer, and accidentally hit the _invert colors_ button.

Two months since her brain had been forced to stop trying to deny what her heart already knew.

Two months since she'd spoken to the Trio.

Two months since she'd spoken to _Danny_.

 _Two_ _months_ _._

No, Valerie Gary was not _stupid_. But she'd had a hard time coming to terms with just how _blind_ she was.

* * *

 **AN: Boom! That wasn't supposed to come out, just yet, but there it is! Oh, well! :D**

 **Hey, everybody! :)**

 **Unless the internet and my small knowledge of Spanish are wrong, (My guess was off by ONE LETTER! XD) 'vive los muertos' means '(long) live the dead'. Which should, totally, be the Phandom's catchphrase.**

 **So, these first three chapters? Yeah, they were actually supposed to be the first _five_ chapters. But, I didn't like where the first three split, and the last two were too short. So, here's a really long one! :)**

 **I'm so sorry if this is absolutely terrible. I'm getting better. I really am. (At least, I hope I am.) But, I actually wrote this a few months ago, so it's still a lot like my old writing. (In other words, bad.) I've been going back through, trying to fix some of it, but there's only so much you can do, when you have to keep it within the lines of all the chapters that come after it.**

 **Anywho, I hope it's good enough that it doesn't drive anyone away from the fic :)**

 **As always,  
God bless, and I hope you enjoyed! :)  
\- Ellie**


	5. 4: Thoughts On The Matter

**Chapter 4:**  
 **Thoughts On The Matter**

* * *

Today was the day. She was finally going to do it. Yep. Walk right up to him and say... She wasn't sure, but she was still going to try.

...Maybe. Maybe she should wait for _him_ to come to _her_.

 **No.** She could do this.

...Probably.

Valerie sighed, sliding down against her locker, to sit on the floor. Sure, she'd been angry with him at first. It's not easy dealing with the discovery that your ex-boyfriend is half ghost, and _your_ secret identity was hunting _his_ secret identity, the entire time you were dating.

 _||And, even after that,_ _you_ _broke up with_ _him_ _,||_ She added, mentally.

 _||I hunted him, like an animal. Treated him like_ _trash_ _. And, he_ _still_ _liked me... Unless it was a trick. -_ _ **No**_ _.||_ She pushed that train of thought away. She'd already had this conversation with herself too many times, and every time she came back around to the same conclusion: Danny was a good guy.

She may never feel the same way about him, relationship-wise, but that didn't change the person he'd been, since the day they'd met. Ghost or not. Every time she'd called him 'evil'. Every time she'd called him 'ghost scum'. It was the same boy she used to call 'loser'. It was the same boy she used to call 'geek'. It was the same boy she used to call ' _boyfriend_ '.

And, through all of it, Danny really _had_ been on her side. (Y'know, except for all those times she'd tried to destroy him.)

Yeah. She had a lot to make up for. But, she'd already started. Every time a ghost showed up, Danny was there. Every time, at every fight. He had a lot on his plate. So, she decided to take some of it off of him. As much as she could, at least. Though, she still had to go to school, and to work. But, maybe it would ease things up on him. Give _him_ a little free time. It was the least she could do.

 _||I've already handled The Box Ghost, like,_ _six times_ _this morning. How does he keep getting out!?||_

Sure, she was still upset that her dad had lost his job. And, _sure_ , she had some questions that she _really_ needed answers to. And, **_sure_** , this revelation changed her entire view of ghosts, and the entire world, in general. And, _**sure**_ , her ex-boyfriend was probably, technically, _dead_.

But, that didn't mean they couldn't still be _friends_. Right?

She sighed again, tipping her head back. It bumped against the lockers with a metallic clunk. When had her life gotten so complicated?

One thing was for certain. She would never look at ghosts the same way, again. If Danny and Danielle could be _half_ ghost, and neither of them were evil, and Vlad was half ghost and _was_ , that's two out of three for good, right? She was never really all that good with math, but there were only, like, twenty-something ghosts that normally came to town. She'd seen the Ghost Zone. There _had_ to be more ghosts than _that_ , in the world.

So, if there were twenty-something ghosts that she _knew_ were evil, and enough space in the Ghost Zone for twenty-something- _billion_ ghosts, it seemed to her the average _human_ was more likely to be a bad guy, than the average _ghost_.

But, all this inner-conflict and rethinking things she'd already been through eighty-million times was just her way of stalling. And, she knew it.

But, how do you tell someone you've discovered their secret identity, and want to apologize for trying to destroy them, because you didn't realize they were _them_?

 _||Maybe I should check out a superhero greeting card store. That's gotta be one of their biggest sellers.||_ She snorted at her own joke, sitting alone in the hallway.

She looked at her watch. Apparently, class had already started and she'd missed the bell. She picked up her pack, and hurried off.

 _||Oh, well,||_ she thought, not really all that disappointed.

 _||Guess we'll just have to try this again, later.||_

* * *

Tucker got in a good four and a half hours of sleep. It wasn't enough, but at least he could function, now. He lifted his head, wiping the drool off his cheek with one hand, and saw Ellie still asleep in the freezer drawer.

Deciding that the cold cuts had probably been thawed enough, he grabbed a few ice packs and and made a sort of ice-nest, in the back corner of the attic. He picked up the little ghost-girl, shutting the freezer with his foot, and settled Ellie in, out of sight of his parents.

He set the now not-so-cold cold cuts on the counter, leaving a note for his mom, hinting at what he wanted for dinner. (Cold cuts.) Then, he grabbed himself a sandwich and settled in on the attic computer, loading up _Doomed_ , completely determined to use his free time to find a way to beat Sam.

 _||Sam.||_

He wondered how his friends were doing at school. They still had a couple more hours to go. If Ellie was sneezing lightning bolts, and the wall had been frozen when Jazz walked in, was Danny sneezing _icicles_?

 _||Danny has an ice core, so I guess it makes sense,||_ He thought, leaning back in his chair. He looked over at the little girl clinging to an ice pack, like it was her favorite toy.

 _||But, if Ellie's Danny's clone, I'd think she would have the same core type as him,||_ He leaned back further, causing the chair to creak slightly. The little girl stirred and stretched, but didn't wake up.

 _||Unless it's not a_ _biological_ _thing, but more of a_ _psychological_ _thing,||_ He reasoned. He would have to talk to Frostbite. And, maybe Jazz.

Realizing his friends would be done with lunch, soon, he pulled out his phone, hoping Sam had remembered to silence hers, (so she wouldn't murder him, for getting her in trouble,) and texted her.

 _ **Tucker: Ellie *snoring emoji*. How r u guys?**_

* * *

 **AN: Hey, everybody! :)**

 **I know. This chapter was short, (just over a thousand words,) and kinda dark :( But, I hope it was an enjoyable kind of dark/angsty/drama. :) I usually deal in humor, but I just _had_ to mess with Val, a little.**

 **...Actually... Expect a _lot_ of messing with Valerie. It's just too easy ;)**

 **Next week's chapter will be kinda short, too. But, then, they should go back to being a pretty good length. They won't be quite as long as the first three, for a little while, though. But, by the end of the fic, they should be even longer :) Going back through my files, I can actually _watch_ my default chapter-length getting longer :D Hopefully, my writing skills are growing with my chapter-size :)**

 **Also, The scene with Tucker is a bit of a time-skip. I needed a place to split two of Valerie's POVs apart. (Since Danny slept through homeroom and English, and there's really nothing to report, there.) So, the next couple chapters will be about what happened between English and lunch, when Tucker texted. The two time-frames should meet back up there, when I update for Thanksgiving :)**

 **Please read & review :) I love hearing your thoughts :D They make my day!**

 **As always,  
God bless, I hope you enjoyed, and see ya next Friday! :)  
\- Ellie**


	6. 5: Even When He's Sick

**Chapter 5:**  
 **Even When He's Sick**

* * *

 _||Did Danny die? Did Danielle die? Did Vlad die? Did they only_ _half_ _die? Is that even possible? Can you be_ _half dead_ _? Why do they still live here, instead of in the Ghost Zone? If there are three half-ghosts in Amity Park, alone, how many are there in the whole world? How many do I know, that I just don't_ _know_ _I know? Where did Danielle even_ _come_ _from? Why has Danny never mentioned her? What are the chances of two cousins both becoming ghosts? What are the chances of two cousins both becoming_ _half-ghosts_ _? Were they born that way? Can you be born half ghost? Can you be born a ghost, at all?||_

Valerie stopped in her tracks, both physically and mentally, on the way to her second period class. She was rambling to herself, again, (a habit she'd picked up quickly, after her discovery,) and she'd already told herself she was going to stop. She'd also already decided that she wouldn't get any _real_ answers about ghosts until she actually _asked_ a ghost.

 _||If the me from two and a half months ago could hear me, now... She'd think I was being overshadowed and try to exorcise me,||_ She thought, half ashamed at who she'd been, and half amused at the mental image. For so long, she had been so totally and completely confident in what Vlad had told her. When, the whole time, the truth was, _literally_ , staring her in the face and _talking to her_.

 _||He glows in the dark and_ _flies_ _, for goodness' sakes.||_

She needed answers. But, Valerie wasn't going to _get_ any answers. Not yet. Not the ones she _really_ wanted. Because, to do that, she would have to tell Danny she knew. And, she had decided that she was going to let _him_ tell _her_. When _he_ was ready.

She was going to have to trust him, and he was going to have to trust her. Though, if the tables were turned, Valerie would _never_ trust the person who had hunted her. Hated her. Tried to _destroy_ her. _Captured_ and _tortured_ her.

She stopped herself. She was going down that road, again. The _guilt_ road. Danny wasn't like her. And, she was unbelievably fortunate for that. He had never hated her. Never stopped trusting her. Never stopped being her friend, in either form.

 _||Even though he knew who I was. Knew where I lived. Knew he could easily eliminate me, at any given moment.||_

But, he hadn't. Which was all the more proof that she had the ghost-boy wrong, from the very beginning. And, now, it was time to turn it all around. To treat him like the hero he really was. _Always_ was.

The bell rung, and Valerie grabbed her things. She had already decided that she would, at least, _try_ and talk to Danny, by the end of the day. She might not admit to her discovery, just yet, but she couldn't just _avoid_ the boy, for the rest of her life. He might be the only real friend she had.

She would start with fixing things between Fenton and Gray. Then, she would try and work things out with their secret identities.

 _||Wait. Is Danny_ _Phantom_ _the secret identity? Or, is it Danny_ _Fenton_ _? Are they equally 'Danny'? Or is one more 'Danny' than the other? How can-_ _ **Valerie.**_ _ **Stop.**_

The Red Huntress was about to call a truce with Danny Phantom.

As soon as she got up the nerve to actually speak to him.

* * *

First period went fairly smoothly, even though Sam slept through most of it. She was just glad she woke up to a room that was free of lightning-bolt scars. She had just dragged Danny to their second period class, and plopped them both down into their seats. He was more awake, now, but he was still delirious. Unfortunately, the hour Tucker had earned them that morning hadn't _shortened_ school time. Everyone just had to _stay_ an extra hour. _Lovely_.

Sam rested her head on her arms, completely ready for another nap, but fighting sleep, for Danny's sake. "Mr. Fenton," their math teacher, Mrs. Hamilton, said. Sam's head shot up, and she looked over at Danny, horrified of what she might find. "Would you like to explain to me why you're trying to _eat_ today's subject?"

There he sat. Danny Fenton. With the corner of a text book in his mouth. Eyes wide, drooling like a newborn. He mumbled something around the book, and Sam had a feeling she was lucky the teacher couldn't understand it. "Mr. Fenton, take that out of your mouth." He did. "Would you care to explain yourself?"

"Bagel."

"...Excuse me?"

"Alexander ate my bagel."

"I did not!" Alexander 'Lex' Laurie, who was twisted around in his seat, watching the show, piped up.

"Mr. Fenton, If you're that hungry, I can get you a granola bar, but this type of behavior is unacceptable," The teacher scolded, hands on her hips. She opened her desk drawer, pulling out one of the fruit and nut snacks she kept there for her diet, and dropped it on Danny's desk. "And, you, young man," she turned to Lex. "We are going to have a serious talk about this thieving streak you seem to have."

"But, I didn't-" The teacher held her hand up, for him to stop. "Yes, Ma'am," he sighed. The whole class was holding back their laughter. Everyone knew Lex was a thief, and they'd tried to tell the teachers plenty of times, but no one could ever prove anything. Apparently, all it took was a little Fenton-level exaggeration. The teacher returned to the board, and Lex turned to glare at the halfa. "You're _dead_ , Fenton," he whispered, menacingly.

"Duh," Danny deadpanned, around a mouthful of granola.

 ***Thud***

 ***Plink***

Sam's head hit her desk, hard, and it sounded like someone in the back of the room dropped their pencil.

 _||Even sick and delusional, Danny just can't resist a ghost pun,|| The goth girl groaned, mentally._

* * *

"Duh."

 ***Thud***

 ***Plink***

In the back of the class, Valerie went pale, dropping her pencil.

"Hey, Val?" Kwan whispered, leaning towards her. "Not that I, like, care, or anything. Because, y'know, you're not part of our group, anymore. But, are you, like, alright? You look like you've seen a ghost." He chuckled, then seemed to remember he was in Amity Park. "Did you? Is there a ghost here? Is-"

"Shut up, Kwan!" Valerie whisper-screamed, finally finding her voice. Her eyes never left Danny. "There's no ghost here," She lied, calming, as the ghost that most-certainly _was_ there laid his head back down on his desk, granola bar demolished.

 _||Wait. Do ghosts even sleep?_ _ **Valerie.**_ _ **Stop!** ||_ She forced herself back out of her inner dialog.

Kwan was still going. "Oh. Phew. That's a relief. For a minute, there-"

"Mr. Li, Miss Gray, I'll see you both in detention," The teacher ordered, from the front of the class.

"Yes, Ma'am," They both droned. Valerie finally took her eyes off the half-ghost. To glare at Kwan.

If you looked at the Asian boy, right then, you could almost _watch_ it sinking in that Valerie was going to make _him_ a ghost.

The Huntress really wasn't all _that_ mad, though. This gave her an excuse to chicken out of talking to Danny, again. But, the jock didn't need to know that.

* * *

 **AN: Hey, everybody! :)**

 **So, that beginning was still a little angsty, but, don't worry, I won't torment Valerie too long ;)**

 **I don't even remember what I was thinking when I wrote that part about the bagel, but I'm glad I did :D**

 **Anywho, I know this chapter was short, but I'll be posting a special update for Thanksgiving, and it'll be a bit longer :) Plus we get to see more of Danny's school antics, and check in with Tucker and Ellie :D This is gonna be fun XD I'll still be updating Friday, too, with one of my favorite chapters. Followed by one of my other favorite chapters :) I can't wait!**

 **Also, this update is kinda special, because it means I have passed 'The Point Of Unbelievable Anguish & Panic'. Somehow, this fic's file got corrupted, nearly costing me everything before this chapter! Thankfully, something had possessed me to put the entire thing on my e-reader, right before it happened. (God is my only explanation.) I did lose the slight edits I'd made, but was still able to look at the file, just not edit it. So, I copied the one from my E-reader back to my laptop, and it took a little while, but I finally got it all fixed! :) Now, _there's_ something to be thankful for! :D**

 **Anyhow, this AN is getting really long, and it's really late, so I'm gonna go :)**

 **As always,**

 **God bless, I hope you enjoyed, and see ya Thursday! :)**

 **\- Ellie**


	7. 6: Tucker Misses Everything

**Chapter 6:**  
 **Tucker Misses Everything**

* * *

Sam Dragged the drooling half-ghost down the hall, towards the cafeteria, by the collar of his shirt. Third period science had been no less eventful than math.

* * *

Mr. Watson finished writing on the board, and turned to check that everyone was listening. Then, he jumped about three feet in the air. The jocks in the class were impressed. They hadn't thought the old man _could_ jump.

"Daniel Fenton! What are you doing on top of that desk!?" He shouted. The boy turned away from what Sam judged were imaginary butterflies and sent a blank look at the teacher.

"Marco," He stated, calmly.

"Polo," Clark and Dash replied, at the same time. Dash had been taking his own nap, and was half-asleep when he answered. Clark just wanted to see where this was going.

"GET OFF THAT DESK!" The class quickly went downhill, from there.

* * *

 _||Well, at least nothing exploded. I really expected a classroom full of beakers and dangerous chemicals to be more chaotic, when you added a delusional half-ghost to it,||_ Sam thought. She was almost disappointed.

She and Jazz sat at the back of the cafeteria, trying to eat without choking, as they watched Danny stare into his mashed potatoes, as if they held the secrets of the universe. The boy was sniffling again, and people had already started whispering about what could've gotten into the usually-quiet Fenton kid.

Meanwhile, the ghosts were being _un_ usually quiet, (aside from Youngblood that morning, but they hadn't heard anything else from him, since,) and it was making Sam and Jazz nervous. Danny's ghost sense hadn't gone off once since he'd gotten hit by the BOO-ger, that morning. Sam figured it was because this cold was messing with his core. He had actually been _shivering_. Danny hadn't gotten cold since Frostbite had trained him to use his ice powers.

Sam thought she saw Valerie throwing strange glances their way, from across the room. But, when she looked again, the girl was gone. The Huntress had been avoiding them, ever since she'd helped Danny rescue Ellie. And, naturally, Sam was suspicious. But, as with everything else about her crazy, out-of-control, overly-haunted life, she'd just have to watch and wait.

 _||And, if Valerie does anything to hurt Danny, she'll have one very angry goth girl to deal with,||_ She thought, taking a bite out of her cheese and tofu-bacon sandwich. She looked up, as a string of drool ran from Danny's mouth, into the hole he'd dug in the center of his food.

"Here," Jazz sighed, scooting closer to her brother. She took a spoonful of macaroni from her brother's plate, shoving it into his mouth, before he could protest. She quickly regretted this course of action, as Danny made her spoon feed him the rest of his Lunch, (and some of her own,) whimpering pitifully when she tried to stop.

Sam didn't even _try_ to hide her grin, as she text-updated Tucker. Of course, She didn't say anything too revealing. Team Phantom had come up with their own code system, just to be safe, but they were still careful what they said. Especially today. This ghost sickness was pushing their luck more than the hiccups.

 _||But, maybe this situation isn't_ _all_ _bad...||_ Sam thought, watching Danny beg for another spoonful of macaroni, then fight against Jazz when she tried to put it in his mouth. Whispers were flying around the cafeteria, like ecto-beams at a ghost fight.

 _||At least, it's giving the school news crew enough material to start a gossip column.||_

* * *

 _||He's_ _sick_ _? Can ghosts even_ _get_ _sick? How does that even work? How does-||_

"- _Oof_."

Valerie's inner dialog was interrupted, when she ran into something big and ugly. "Watch where you're goin', _loser_."

"Baxter," Valerie growled, grabbing the boy's collar and jerking him down to her eye-level. He yelped in surprise, more girlishly than he would ever admit. "I will make you cry like the baby you mentally are. _Then_ , I will force you to call your mother, and tell her, in detail, about all the trouble you cause. _Then_ , I will hang you upside down from the field-goal, _by your shoelaces_. After that, the teachers can sort out what's left of you," She threatened, menacingly.

The big Junior thought a moment, then scoffed. "As if you _could_."

" _Try me_ ," She grinned.

He did. But, he doubted he ever would again.

* * *

Tucker did his best not to cackle too loudly, as he read Sam's text. He didn't want to wake up Ellie, but he was glad _someone_ had said 'polo', since he hadn't been there to.

 _||Oh, man! I miss_ _everything_ _!||_

* * *

"Ellie, quickly, the _Fenton Bad-Guy-Catcher-O-Matic_!" Dream-Maddie shouted to her 'daughter', as the two chased after the madman in the (incredibly fast) hot air balloon. The madman, Dr. Von Stupidhead, cackled, wildly.

Funny, he sounded kinda like Tucker.

Ellie reached into he adventurer bag, pulling out a little, blue marble. Maddie took it from her. "By the power of a mother's love," She shouted, as the marble in her fist began to glow. "Release my family, or face my wrath!" Suddenly, the marble was a giant gun.

 _||It's gimongous!||_ Ellie thought, amazed, as she stared up at the weapon, completely disregarding the fact that 'gimongous' wasn't a real word. Suddenly, the gun fired, popping the balloon. It squeaked and squealed, as it turned over and over in the air. Von Stupidhead turned green.

"I think I'm getting air sick," he said, lamely. Suddenly, the balloon shot off in the other direction, dropping Jack, Jazz, Danny, Sam, and Tucker, before it was nothing but a distant twinkle in the sky. For some reason, Ellie expected someone to shout about 'blasting off, again', but no one did. She and her 'mother' ran forward, through the dense jungle, until they cam across a group of giant, talking trees.

Upon further inspection, though, it was revealed that the _trees_ weren't talking. The five people _in them_ were.

Danny hopped down first, landing catlike, barely making a sound. "Thanks, Mom. Good job, baby sis," He said, running up to them, and ruffling Ellie's hair.

"Move it, Tucker!"

"Sam, Sam, Sam," the boy tsked, laid over a branch, on his stomach. "Patience is a virtue."

 ***Thud***

With a girlish scream, Tucker fell out of the tree, belly-flopping on the ground. "Tucker, Tucker, Tucker," Sam tsked back, one boot swinging under the branch they had previously shared. "Not arguing with a girl who can kick your butt is a necessary survival-skill." The techno-geek picked his head up, spitting out a mouthful of grass.

"NOW THAT THAT'S OUT OF THE WAY," Jack piped up. "LET'S GO FIND THAT TREASURE!" He pulled back the gigantic leaves of an Amazonian bush, to reveal a crumbling Aztec temple. The seven headed for it, at a run. And, it soon turned into a race.

"I WIN!" Ellie shouted, hopping up and down on the bottom step. Danny caught up first, hands on his knees to catch his breath, followed by Maddie and Sam. Tucker, Jazz, and Jack brought up the rear, panting hard. Tucker collapsed onto the ground, landing on his face for the second time in as many minutes.

"WELL, SLOWPOKES," Jack said, staring up at the temple, suddenly re-energized. "DON'T JUST STAND THERE. LET'S GO HAVE A LOOK." They walked up the stairs for what seemed like an eternity. When they finally reached the top, they saw that the door had seven hand-shaped indents in it, in seven different colors.

In large, ancient-looking letters, The inscription above the door read: ONLY A FAMILY WITH A TRUE LOVE FOR ALL THINGS GHOSTLY MAY ENTER HERE.

"Sounds like us, alright," Sam deadpanned. They placed their hands on the hand-prints. Sam on the purple, Tucker the red, Jack the orange, Maddie the blue, Jazz the pink, Danny the ectoplasmic green, and Ellie the electric yellow. The door opened, and they all walked into the pitch black, together.

 ***Click***

The sound echoed around the hollow chamber, as a spotlight turned on. And, in it, stood none other than Dr. Carlson Von Stupidhead. "Well, well, well. What do we have here?" He asked, sinisterly, stepping forward from the shadows, twirling a cane in one hand.

Everything went black, as the floor dropped out from under them.

* * *

"And, stay away from the Trio. They're under _my_ protection," Valerie said to Dash, who was now dangling over the six-yard box, just as promised, blubbering like a baby. Behind her, someone cleared their throat, and she turned around to find Mr. Lancer. She sighed, her shoulders slumping and her expression deadpan. "How many detentions do I have, _now_?"

* * *

 **AN: Happy Thanksgiving, everybody! :) Hugs and turkey-hats, all around! ;)**

 **So, Valerie's trying to make it up to Team Phantom, now. So, that's thing. And, Danny's starting to cause some trouble. Predictable enough. And, tomorrow, we get to see Tucker's babysitting skills :) This is gonna be so much fun! XD**

 **To the guest who commented, thank you so much! I'm glad you liked it! :))**

 **Whether you celebrate, or not, I hope your day, and your entire lives are filled with more love, joy, warmth, and kindness than you could ever imagine! *Hugs* :))**

 **As always,  
God bless, and I hope you enjoyed! :) See ya tomorrow!  
\- Ellie**


	8. 7: Tea For Tuck

**Chapter 7:**  
 **Tea For Tuck**

* * *

 _||Why did I agreed to this?||_ Tucker wondered, desperately. Sure, Ellie was no trouble when she was _asleep_. But, apparently, she was all rested up and ready to go, now.

 _Why_ _did I say it was no problem?||_ The little ghost-girl dragged him by the hand towards her makeshift, attic, tea party. Somehow, she had managed to force the poor boy into a sparkly purple tutu and matching tiara.

A _**tiara**_.

Tucker had no idea where she'd gotten them from, or how she'd managed to get them on him. It was all a big, sparkly blur. Now, the hyper girl was wearing a rainbow version of the same outfit, but with wings. And, she was _totally_ hogging the magic wand.

"Now, _I'm_ the magical, fairy super-princess," She said, pointing to herself with the green, felt star-on-a-stick. The rainbow ribbons dangling from it fluttered at the motion. "And, _you're_ Sergeant Toadstool," She pointed to Tucker. "Leader of the Royal Fairy Police Force. So, drink this enchanted tea, grab a cookie, and kick that bad guy's butt," She said, handing him a tiny, plastic teacup and a chocolate chip cookie. She turned him around and pushed him towards the 'evil, fire-breathing, ghost toucan' (a pillow she'd covered in multicolored feathers and drawn a jack-o-lantern face on).

 _||Well, at least I'm not the leader of the Royal Fairy Hair-Stylists Guild. Again. Who knew braiding was so hard?||_

He sighed, pretended to drain the empty teacup, tossed it over his shoulder, popped the cookie into his mouth, and dropped into a fighting stance, tutu flayed out around his waist. "Let's do this," He said, mouth full, in a tone that was much more manly than he felt. Ellie cheered him on, loudly, as he kicked the 'bad guy' in the face, repeatedly.

* * *

After a _long_ talk with Mr. Lancer, Valerie headed to the cafeteria, getting there fifteen minutes before lunch ended. She kept looking over to where Sam, Jazz, and Danny sat, trying to think of what to say.

 _||"Hey, guys. Sorry I've been totally avoiding you, for the past few months. Nothing personal, but I've been having this huge existential crisis, ever since I discovered that one of you is dead?" Yeah. That'd go over well.||_ She watched the goth girl stare at the drooling half-ghost.

 _||Might be worth it, to see Sam's face, though,||_ She thought, smirking.

 ***Beep-Beep-Beep***

She was about to take her last bite of salad, when her ghost-detector went off.

 _||Great,||_ She thought, quickly cramming what was left of her lunch into her mouth, and running out of the school. Her brain was still fighting to put this whole puzzle together, and, to do that, it was trying to make up it's own pieces, until they filled all the holes in the story. Her battle-suit and hoverboard appeared, and she flew towards the ghost.

 _||Okay, Val. If you absolutely_ _have_ _to focus on this stuff, ask questions you actually have a_ _chance_ _of answering,||_ The Red Huntress ordered herself, as she blasted Skulker down, for the second time that day.

 _||Okay. Who all knows? Danny. Duh. Sam and Tucker. Also, duh. Those three couldn't keep a secret from each other, even if they tried.||_ She sucked the mechanical ghost into her watch, which was secretly a _wrist-vac_. A rip-off, she now knew, of the _Fenton Thermos_ Danny used.

Oh, well. Most of the stuff Vlad gave her may be ripped off from the Fentons, and she may not _trust_ the mayor, anymore, but that didn't mean the equipment he gave her was no good. Besides, it's not like the Fentons would ever give this kind of stuff to a kid they didn't even know. And, she knew she could never afford to buy it. So, she'd keep playing along with Vlad. For now. And, go after the jerk when she had a better way of getting weapons, and more information on the older half-ghost. Both halves of him. Going in blind was a rookie mistake. And, Valerie may have been semi-new to this whole ghost-fighting thing, (and to a few new facts about ghosts,) but she was no rookie. Vlad would not be getting the better of her, again.

 _||Vlad. Pretty sure he knows about Danielle. Not sure if he knows about Danny. Dani probably knows. Danny knows she's a half-ghost, so she probably knows he is. Jazz? Maybe. She's smart, but seems to be a bit clueless, sometimes. Mr. and Mrs. Fenton? Naw. That's ridiculous. They may be a little weird, but they wouldn't hunt their own son.||_ Valerie swooped down and stopped, mid-air. Her hoverboard and suit retracted, and she dropped a few feet to the ground, behind the school.

 _||Unless it's a cover. I mean, no one would_ _ever_ _suspect the son of two ghost-hunters to be a ghost. (Except me.) But, maybe it's to throw everyone else off, even more. To protect him. Maybe even_ _Danny_ _doesn't know. Maybe they're waiting for_ _him_ _to tell_ _them_ _, like I am.||_ She checked her watch. It was almost time for fifth period, so she headed in that direction. She was just glad she wasn't late, again.

 _||How does Danny_ _do_ _this?||_ She wondered, then paused.

 _||Oh. Right. He's failing almost everything. Well, that explains that.||_

* * *

 _||I've gotta figure something out. And, I've gotta figure it out_ _fast_ _,||_ Tucker thought, as he huddled in the kitchen cupboards. It was Monday. Every Monday, his mom and her sister went to the nail salon, to gossip, and, probably, bond over trauma, when a ghost decided to attack. She would be home any minute, and he needed to figure out some way to keep Ellie quiet and out of sight long enough for her to come in, ask him if he needed anything, ask him if he needed her to stay home with him, and, finally, accept that he was fine, and go on, already.

"FOUND YOU!" Ellie shouted, sticking her head, intangibly, through the back wall. Tucker shrieked, still wearing the tutu and tiara. (Something _else_ he needed to handle, before his mom got home.) Only, now, _he_ had the magic wand, and was covered in a rainbow of glittery play-makeup. "I WIN!" The little girl said flying through to the kitchen, and doing a victory dance, as Tucker climbed out of the cabinet.

 _||Maybe she's lucid enough that I can just, y'know, ask her to settle down, for a few,||_ He thought, hopefully.

"Ellie?" She stopped dancing and turned to look at him. "Do you remember how you were sick, this morning?"

"I remember feeling like I ate a thousand ghost peppers," she said, thinking back.

"Yeah. Well, I told my parents _I_ was sick, so I could stay home and take care of you."

"You did?" She tilted her head to one side. "Aww, Tucker!" She gave him a bear-hug to rival Jack Fenton. "That's so sweet!" He smiled, hugging her back and petting her hair.

"Yeah. But, my Mom's gonna be home any minute, and we can't let her see you. She won't understand why I had to skip school to babysit."

"Why not?" She asked, pulling away, her feet barely skimming against the kitchen tiles. Tucker frowned. How could he put this.

"She'll want to know why your parents couldn't take care of you."

"Oh," The little girl deflated, landing. The resemblance to a disappointed Jack Fenton was uncanny.

"Hey," He said, kneeling down and putting his hands on her shoulders. The little ghost-girl looked at him. His tiara slipped down over one eye, and he pushed it back up. "So, if you wanna stay here with me, you're gonna have to make sure my parents don't see you," He smiled at her.

She brightened. "Okay," And, with that, she turned invisible, though Tucker could still hear her giggling, as she headed up the stairs.

"...That works, too," He grinned.

* * *

 **AN: Hey, everybody! :)**

 **Okay, now I understand why so many authors like to torture their characters. It's** ** _way_** **too much fun XD And, that's why this is one of my favorite chapters! Next week, I'll post one of my other favorite chapters! :) I hope you like both of them as much as I do :)**

 **And, I know this chapter is a little short, but, next week, they start getting longer, again. :)**

 **As always,  
God bless, I hope you enjoyed, and see ya next Friday! :)  
\- Ellie**

* * *

 **Edit:**

 **Okay, so, I've tried to post the new chapter for Friday a couple times, now, and it still doesn't show as updated, so I'm trying this one more time :)**

 **Sorry, to anybody who's getting alerts when this is the same chapter :(**


	9. 8: The War

**Chapter 8:**  
 **The War**

* * *

Sam held Danny's hand, and the ghost-boy trudged along behind her, towards the gym. He was sniffling full-force now, shivering, and babbling incoherently. He had his (unfortunately blue) hood up, to fight off the 'extreme cold', but it was too early to give him any more medicine.

* * *

"ALRIGHT, YOU PATHETIC MAGGOTS!" Ms. Tetslaff bellowed. "TODAY'S GAME WILL BE... DODGEBALL!" She said the last word with such menace that Danny was no longer the only one shivering. The incredibly-muscled gym teacher blew her whistle, and the game (war) began.

* * *

"Get set to get flattened, nerd!" Dash shouted. Lester shrieked and ducked, as the ball nearly took his head off.

"Dude, watch this," Kwan laughed, as he threw the ball at Mikey's feet, knocking them out from under him. The boy landed on his stomach, nearly losing his glasses. It was hilarious! The ball kept going, knocking the feet out from under the person _behind_ Mikey. That would have been hilarious, too.

Except for the fact that it was Valerie.

Kwan was suddenly _very_ terrified. But, before the girl could get up to take him out, (possibly for good,) Dash threw another ball, hitting Fenton in the face. With an 'oof', the nerd landed _on top_ of anger-management girl.

* * *

Dash paled when Kwan hit Gray. He doubted his buddy would make it out of that one alive. And, he really didn't want to mess with the girl again, but Fenton was just too easy a target. He cackled as the smallest Junior in Casper High got smacked in the face, and paled more than Kwan had, when he opened his eyes to see that the shrimp had _landed on Gray_.

He heard a thud, and turned to see Manson, smirking at him, menacingly. She was tossing and catching a ball with one hand, a steel-toed boot propped on the injured body of a fallen football player. He couldn't tell which player, though, as the guy had his head buried in his arms.

...Dash could've sworn he heard crying...

* * *

Sam didn't know what had happened. One minute she was queen of the court, and, the next, both Danny and Valerie were down. She didn't know how Danny had wandered out of her 'bubble of protection', but Dash and his entire team of muscle-heads were _**going to pay**_. She slammed a ball into Jason Warley's gut. The fullback doubled over and fell to his knees. Beyond him, Sam saw the very football-brain she was looking for. She propped one foot on Jason's back, bouncing a ball in one hand, threateningly, and grinned at Dash.

She couldn't help the burst of pride she felt, when Football-Brain blanched. But, one look at the trickle of brown coming from Danny's nose vanquished any mirth (or mercy) she might have felt.

* * *

Valerie didn't know what had happened. One minute, she was helping Sam take out anyone who aimed for Danny, and, the next, she was flat on her back. Then, before she could get up, Dash hit said ghost-boy in the face, knocking him on top of her. She caught one of his wrists, out of reflex. "Sorry, Turtle Tank," He mumbled, sniffling. He got off of her, sitting on the ground, looking dazed.

"I-It's fine," She stammered. Though, she would never remember either of them speaking. Her body sat there a moment longer, while the real Valerie was running around in circles, inside her own mind.

 _||He has a pulse! He has a heartbeat! I felt it! Ghost's don't have hearts, but half-ghosts do!? How is this even possible!? How does it work!? Is he alive, or is he dead!? You can't be both! Wait. Can you be both? NO! WhICh IS iT!||_

Tetslaff shouted for them to get up. The girl forced herself back to reality, again, and spotted the slight nose-bleed Danny had.

 _||Wait. Is his blood_ _brown_ _? ... Human blood + ectoplasm. Duh..._ _ **Valerie! Focus!**_

The cackle she'd registered from Dash, seconds after the half-ghost had been hit, told her all she needed to know. She glared at the quarterback, and couldn't help the grin that crept across her lips when he paled.

* * *

The blood drained from Dash's face, as Manson grinned at him, then, drained even more when her smirk turned to an angry scowl. She threw the ball hard, hitting him in the gut, his shoes skidding backwards (at least) a foot and a half. "GOOD THROW, MANSON! FENTON, GRAY, ON YOUR FEET!" Tetslaff shouted. Danny stood, slowly, as Valerie sat, looking stunned for several moments.

Kwan was getting more nervous by the second, completely expecting to get the same type of beating Dash had gotten during lunch. (It was a wonder he'd even been able to play.) When the former-A-Lister snapped out of it, however, she glared at _Dash_. By this point, the quarterback looked like he'd just seen Pariah Dark.

* * *

"I told you to stay away from the Trio!" Valerie screamed, jumping to her feet, and snatching a ball out of another girl's hand. Dash swallowed hard. Now, Manson and Gray were _both_ out for his blood. _He_ might not make it out of this alive.

* * *

"What!?" Sam jumped over a ball, catching another, mid-air, and throwing it at Jamie Leroy's face, as she landed. The tight end mumbled something about pretty birdies, as he went down.

 _||She told him WHAT!?||_

* * *

Valerie watched the implications of what she'd just screamed wash over Sam's features.

 _||Oh, well. Looks like I've got some explaining to do, myself.||_ She saw Kwan sneaking up on the goth girl.

 _||If this is going to have a happy ending - if it even_ _can_ _\- I'd better start proving who's side I'm on, right now.||_

* * *

Kwan watched, as the two tiny-but-monstrous girls, with anger-issues, ganged up on his best friend. Someone threw a ball, and he caught it, out of reflex. He looked down at the red orb in his hands, then up at the two girls. He stood no chance against Valerie, that much he knew. But, Sam...

"Oh, well," He muttered, sighing. "Might, as well, die a hero."

* * *

 _||Valerie told Dash to stay away from us!?||_ Sam heard a hollow plunk, next to her. She turned to see Kwan's eyes crossed, as he collapsed to the floor, a few feet away. Behind him, Valerie flanked Danny's other side. The Huntress looked in her direction. They shared a look. An agreement passed between them.

Sam would figure out the details, later. Right now, there was a _**war**_ to fight.

* * *

The goth girl of Casper High continued her onslaught of other players, (aiming mostly for A-Listers,) until, through the din of 'oof's and 'ouch'es, she heard someone shriek, followed by someone else cackling. She looked over to see Paulina and Star standing next to part of a smashed phone. Danny stood nearby, not really seeming to know where he was. (Which was, really, nothing new.) And, Valerie was laughing so hard, she was near tears. The four were surrounded by a sea of unconscious classmates.

"You broke my new phone!" Paulina shrieked, again.

"You are so _dead_ , Fenton!" Star put in.

"Duh," The boy said, for the second time, that day. Sam met the laughing Huntress's eyes, again.

 _||Oh,_ _this_ _is gonna be fun.||_

* * *

Valerie held back a laugh, as Danny picked up one of the balls, trying to throw it at something. "Mean Skunkie. Evil Hair Clip. Stay away. Go back in the mushroom." He missed, and went for another ball, that rolled past him. He was doubled over, reaching for it, as he followed it.

 _||Is he hallucinating?||_ Judging by Danny's behavior that day, (and every day, for that matter,) this really shouldn't have been the first time she wondered that. She heard a noise behind her and turned, grabbing one of the balls, herself, and bouncing it, pinball-style, between the heads of three jocks. They went down, like they had rocks in their heads. Which, by Valerie's reckoning, they probably did.

"No more cantaloupe," The Ghost-Boy mumbled, again. "Anti-banana kingdom, away!" Danny thrust one finger into the air, as though leading a charge. He tried to yell the last word, but it came out as more of a weak bleat. Unfortunately, this process caused him to drop his dodgeball. He ducked down to get it, just in time to be missed by the one Trent Corbin had thrown.

 _||Yep. Definitely hallucinating,||_ She thought, jumping behind him, catching the ball Trent had thrown while still and throwing it right back, still mid-air, beaning the lunk in the head. Danny dropped his dodgeball three more times, before he finally managed to get a grip on it, and toss it in a seemingly-random direction.

Random, or not, his aim was perfect. It hit Paulina, knocking her phone (that she'd, _actually_ , been _talking on_ , during all of this) out of her hand. Danny cheered, and the phone hit the floor, breaking apart and scattering. Halfway across the gym, Gary Penn slid up on one piece, taking out four other kids, domino-style, when he fell into them. Paulina shrieked, and Danny covered his ears.

Valerie was cracking up, now, tears threatening to leak from her eyes. (Though, whether it was from actual joy, or just hysteria, she couldn't say.) It was the snotty girl's own fault. She shouldn't have been using her phone in school. How she'd gotten away with it, on Tetslaff's watch, Valerie would never know.

"You broke my new phone!"

"You are so _dead_ , Fenton!"

"Duh."

At Star's threat, the Huntress met Sam's gaze. If the two girls could agree on anything, it was Danny.

 _||Oh, this is gonna be_ _good_ _.||_

* * *

 **AN: Well, that came out of my keyboard...**

 **Correction:** ** _This_** **may be my favorite chapter :))**

 **Make sure to check out the bonus chapter to this one, if you haven't already. :) Or don't, if you value your sanity. It's not my best work, but I wanted to do more from Danny's POV :)**

* * *

 **Edit: Okay, guys, my friend, InsomniacWhoOverslept just made some fanart for this chapter, and you have GOT to check it out! It's absolutely AMAZING! So, here's the link:**

 **(htt) (dotcom) /art/The-Dodgeball-War-718022368**

 **Just take out all the parentheses and spaces and replace 'dotcom' with the real thing :) If the link doesn't work, it's under the screenname aspectofdesign. Seriously, check out their artwork! IT's AWESOME! :)))))**


	10. 9: The War Redux

**Chapter 9:**  
 **The War Redux**

* * *

 **AN: This is a kind of bonus chapter. It's the sister-chapter to Chapter 8. Read them in any order you like, but I can guarantee you this one won't make any sense until after you read the first one. And, even then, the amount of sense it makes is questionable.**

 **Enjoy my madness! :)**

* * *

Danny sniffled as Froggy pulled him down the hall, by his hand. He was still upset about having to wear Blue Hoodie, but it was too cold to go without. He shivered, again, trying to tell Froggy about just how cold it was. She didn't understand.

She led him into a big room, full of the strange creatures that were everywhere in this place. They all stood together, and a giant alligator shouted at them. She was scary.

Suddenly, glowing, red, ghost eyeballs were released, and the creatures started throwing them at each other. Everywhere the eyeballs bounced, they left red splatters, that looked like blood, which faded after a few seconds. It was an absolute horror show. But, that didn't bother Danny. He was a superhero. He'd seen much worse. Right?

The angry, red, rubber ducky from that morning was laughing with his friend, a big, blue clothespin. They cackled, as they slaughtered their enemies with eyeballs. It was a bouncy bloodbath. Good thing Froggy and the giant turtle, with a cannon on her back were protecting him.

A circus clown screamed, as one of the eyeballs nearly took his head off. Then, Clothespin knocked over both an ink pen and Turtle Tank, with one eyeball. Red Ducky laughed, and hit Danny in the face. He felt so bad for landing on poor Turtle Tank.

He apologized, and sat on the floor next to her. She looked almost as sick as he felt. He turned towards Red Ducky, who was cowering before Froggy. Then, Gator Lady shouted at him to get up.

Funny, she shouted something at Sammy and Valerie, too. And, they weren't even there.

Danny saw Red Ducky pale to an almost ghostly shade, and turned to see that Turtle Tank and Froggy were both grinning at the mean duck. Then, Froggy looked at him, and she frowned.

 _||What did I do?||_ He wondered, before Froggy turned to glare at Red Ducky. Danny sniffed, then realized that his nose hurt. He reached to touch it, felt something wet, and looked down to find a slightly-glowing, brown liquid on his hand. Halfa blood.

 _||Did Red Ducky do that?||_ One look at the duck's fearful expression was all the answer he needed. He looked at his two protectors, and grinned. And, his grin only widened, when Turtle Tank announced that he and his friends were under her protection.

 _||~Ooooh. Red Ducky's in for it, now,~||_ He singsonged, in his mind.

The war continued, and Froggy caught one ricocheting eyeball, while jumping over another. She landed, hit a garbage can in the face with the red orb, and Danny saw Clothespin trying to sneak up on her.

 _||Enough of just standing around, watching,||_ He thought, as Turtle Tank took Clothespin down, with one hit.

 _||I may be seriously confused and too weak to use my powers, but I have to help my new friends.||_

Danny saw the two creatures that had vowed to defend him lock eyes with one another. He wasn't involved in their silent conversation, but he could hear it, loud and clear. 'Protect Danny', they said.

 _||Even if fighting with ghost eyeballs is really gross,||_ He completed, bolstered by the sight of his two new comrades-in-arms, on either side of him.

Suddenly, a giant, rocket-powered mushroom was sitting on the battlefield. Danny didn't know where it had come from, but he somehow knew the mean skunk, in the pink sweater, and the glittery hair clip next to her had come out of it. And, he also knew, instinctively, that these two were **_the enemy_**.

It was _his_ turn to fight. He picked up one of the eyeballs, trying to throw it at the evil mushroom-aliens, but the eyeballs were so slippery, he missed. Another rolled past his feet, and he went for it. He thought he heard Turtle Tank laughing, and turned to see a caramel apple, a hair dryer, and a lamppost go down, by her hands. He needed to get a grip on these stupid eyeballs, he was missing all the fun.

Grabbing more ammunition, he pointed a finger at the sky, declaring his animosity for the traitorous cantaloupe, and denouncing the entire banana kingdom. But, in the process, he dropped his eyeball, again. He leaned down to pick it up, and heard something whiz past him. He saw the eyeball fly by, and heard a thud. He turned to see that Turtle Tank had taken out a giant washing machine.

It took several more tries to get the eyeball, this time, but it was worth it. He threw the ball through the air, knocking the planetary detonation device from Mean Skunkie's hand. He crowed, proudly, over this small victory, as Turtle Tank cackled at the wicked skunk's misfortune. Mean Skunkie had failed the banana kingdom.

The detonation device shattered, and an enemy soldier, this one a beaver, slipped on a piece of it, taking out several of his comrades, when he fell. Danny had to cut his celebration short, however, to cover his ears. Apparently, Mean Skunkie had some sort of super-hearing impairment ability. It was _so loud_.

She shouted that her phone had been destroyed. Danny was really surprised she wasn't more upset about her disrupted evil plans.

"You are so _dead_ , Fenton!" Hair Clip shouted at him.

"Duh," There was really nothing else to say, and this was the second time he'd had to say it. Did these people not understand who and what he was? Did they need a demonstration?

He saw Froggy and Turtle Tank lock eyes, again, hearing their unspoken conversation as clearly as if they'd shouted it through a bullhorn.

 _||Oh, this is gonna be_ _awesome_ _.||_

* * *

 **AN: It happened, again. I have no excuse.**

 **Hey, everybody! :)**

* * *

 **Okay, for anyone who's lost (read: 'everyone'):**

Froggy is Sam.

Turkey Leg is Jazz.

Turtle Tank is Valerie.

Red Ducky is Dash.

Clothespin is Kwan.

Hair Clip is Star.

Mean Skunkie is Paulina.

Circus Clown is Lester (also called Nathan).

Ink Pen is Mikey.

And, Gator Lady is Ms. Tetslaff.

* * *

 **Thankfully, I think this is the most confusing chapter I'll write for this fic. (It doesn't get much more confusing...) Seriously, though, next week's chapter will make** **much more** **sense than this one. Seriously.**

 **Thanks for reading/reviewing/following/favoriting! You guys are the reason I keep posting :) And, I'll be doing another bonus chapter at the end of the fic, that'll be a kind of a field day of crazy. So, feel free to send me any ideas you have for Danny's antics. I can't guarantee I'll be able to use them, but I'll do my best :)**

 **As always,  
God bless, I hope you enjoyed, and see ya next Friday! :)  
\- Ellie**


	11. 10: A Little Bit Of Drama

**Chapter 12:**  
 **A Little Bit Of Drama**

* * *

Sam led Danny down the hall, looking for Valerie. Don't get her wrong. She was grateful for her help back in the gym. (Not that she couldn't have handled it, herself, mind you.) And, she certainly wouldn't _discourage_ her from knocking the stuffing out of Dash, if she really wanted to. But, she had some questions for the Huntress.

" _Why_ is she helping us, and _why_ did she tell Dash to stay away from us?" She wondered, quietly, to the delusional halfa holding onto her hand, like a lost little boy. (Which, mentally, he pretty-much was.)

"Orange juice." Sam knew her friend couldn't really comprehend anything she was saying, but continued thinking aloud, regardless.

"Is she trying to be friends with us? Maybe she got tired of being bitter and alone..."

"Peanut butter. The carousel ran away." She walked him over to one side of the hall, letting go of his hand and closing his hood in her locker door, so he couldn't wander away as she began pacing in front of him. It helped her think.

The half-ghost boy struggled for a moment, before settling, watching his goth friend with wide-eyed wonder. "Or, is it some kind of trick? What if she knows about you? She did start avoiding us right after she found out that - _you-know-what_ \- exist. Maybe that was all she needed to put two and two together," She worried.

"All of the olives _hate_ cherry. Give them yams, instead."

 _||Speak of the devil,||_ Sam thought, as she spotted the subject of her one-sided conversation, on the other end of the hall. She moved in her direction, trying to get her attention. Valerie noticed them, froze, then, one crowded-hallway moment later, she was gone. Which only served to make Sam more suspicious.

The Huntress couldn't hide forever, though. They had next period, together.

* * *

 _||You can't just keep avoiding them, like this,||_ Valerie scolded herself, walking down the hall. She had slipped out of the gym, while Sam wasn't looking, so she wouldn't have to answer the questions she knew the goth wanted to ask. She sighed, arriving at her locker and propping her forehead on it, with a dull thunk.

 _||But, I'm not ready. What would I even say? What_ _is_ _there to say?||_ With another sigh, she picked her head up, and gathered her things for next period. On her way down the hall, she spotted Sam, trying to get her attention, and panicked.

 _||Oh, man! What am i gonna do!?||_ Suddenly, the hallway became more crowded, and the Huntress took her chance, hurrying towards Jonesie's class.

The escape wouldn't buy her much time, Valerie knew. Sam and Danny were both in her social studies class. But, maybe it would be enough for her to, at least, figure out where to start.

* * *

Jonesie was the students' nickname for Mr. Jones, the social studies teacher. The students figured the only thing that could truly compliment his 'sunny' disposition, was a sunny nickname. (Of course, no one ever called him 'Jonesie', to his face. There were too many rumors that the last guy got thwacked on the head with the man's walking stick.)

* * *

"Well, class," Mr. Jones said, staring down his 'wayward' pupils. "You truly are a sorry sight." About that, he wasn't wrong. The students looked absolutely pathetic.

P.E. had ended with most of the Juniors covered in scrapes and bruises. Half of them had to go to the nurse's office, ten had to go home early, three had sprained ankles and/or wrists, one guy had a broken collar bone, and there were even a few rumors of mild concussions. One of the latter, supposedly, being Dash Baxter.

Sam and Valerie were so proud.

As the students settled in for a long September's lecture, Jonesie continued to ramble about how disgraceful their behavior had been, that day. (Quite to the contrary of Ms. Tetslaff's _praise_ of their dodgeball war.) He twirled his cane in one hand, as he paced back and forth across the front of the classroom, nose in the air, completely shirking the fact that he was _supposed_ to be teaching social studies.

Jonesie was also the drama teacher. He was a grumpy, old coot. But, he was a _dramatic_ , grumpy, old coot. Which is why, if it had to happen in any class, Sam was glad it had happened in his.

"OBJECTION!" Danny shouted, shooting up out of his seat and slamming one hand on his desk, his chair toppling backwards. Valerie jumped, as did most of the class. Sam, though, just propped her head in her hands, groaning.

"OVERRULED!" Jonesie replied, not missing a beat, pointing the end of his cane in Danny's face. The tip stopped mere inches from his nose, but the half-ghost didn't flinch.

"On what grounds, sir, do you accuse these poor, innocent children, of such a heinous crime?" Danny continued, in a British accent, his arm sweeping to encompass the class in question. Valerie looked at Sam, but the goth girl just shook her head. She knew better than to try to stop him, at this point.

"On what- On what grounds, sir!?" The teacher stuttered, incredulous, but picking up the same accent, regardless. "On the grounds that Ms. Tetslaff, their teacher, _bragged_ to me about it!"

"Insubstantial. The lady in question is not permissible in a court of law." Sam held back her laughter, near tears, as Valerie tried to chose between hyperventilating and joining her.

" _Excuse me_?"

"It cannot be allowed!" The dark-haired teen slapped his desk, again. "They cannot be permitted to disallow chocolate chip doughnuts in this establishment! The jelly-filled preferences of one person cannot take precedence over the chocolatey love of the majority!" Most of the students were now either stunned, stifling their laughter, (or each others' laughter, in the case of Paulina and Star,) or a combination of both.

The teacher paused. Then, to everyone's surprise, (excluding the few who were in his drama class,) he shrugged, deciding to roll with it. (He'd probably intended to lecture them this entire period, anyway.) "Point taken. But, suppose we were to cater to both sides. I move that we fulfill the desires of both the chocolate-lovers _and_ the jelly-lovers!"

Danny seemed to consider it. "Move accepted! Knight seven to pawn eighteen! Long live the doughnuts! This court is now adjourned!" Danny said, banging his fist on the desk, like a gavel.

"Well done, sir," Jonesie moved to shake Danny's hand.

"Why, thank you, sir. And, you, as well," Danny accepted the handshake.

"Why, thank you, sir," Jonesie replied. The two bowed to one another, as though each were their own audience. Danny righted his chair, and class continued, as though nothing had happened.

No one really knew what had just happened, but they knew it got them out of a lecture, (and a pop-quiz they didn't know they'd almost had,) and put Jonesie into a semi-good mood.

Well, good for him. Metaphorical thunderclouds still followed the guy around, but, hey, at least, there wasn't any lightning.

 _||Looks like Danny's a_ _little_ _more lucid than he was a while ago,||_ Sam thought, looking at the now-sleeping ghost-boy, as the teacher went on, animatedly, about little-know geographical locations.

* * *

The bell rang for the end of class. 'Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyll-llantysiliogogogoch' was written on the board. "In closing, this," Jonesie tapped the board with his cane, "being the name of a village in Wales, - No, I don't know how to pronounce it. Put your hands down. - is the third-longest geographical name in the world. Class dismissed. All rise for the honorable Judge Pastry," He picked the accent back up, motioning to the half-ghost Sam was still trying to wake.

They all gathered their things and headed out. "Oh, and, Mr. Fenton," The teacher said, as the two black-haired teens reached the doorway. They both turned to him. "You have detention." Sam face-palmed. "But, I do hope you will consider joining the drama club, next semester," The teacher added, turning back to clean the board. That was the second detention Danny had racked up, that day. Added to the ones he had from last week, (skipping class to fight ghosts, or being late because of ghosts,) he had detention through next Monday.

 _||Well. I can't just let him go, alone. Not in this condition,||_ Sam thought, stepping out into the hall. She especially couldn't when Valerie was going to be there, too. She may have helped in the gym, but Sam still didn't trust her.

Directly in front of her, Sam saw Paulina, still whining to Star about her phone. Coming down the hall, she saw Principal Ishiyama.

"Barracuda gonna getcha," Danny said.

 _||Oh, yes. Yes, she is,||_ Sam thought, smirking. The tiny Junior grabbed her arm, and she looked down at him.

"Froggy, don't eat the Skunkie," He near-begged.

"Don't you worry your delusional, little head. I'm not gonna eat the Skunkie," She said, patting said delusional head. The boy relaxed. "I'm just gonna play a little game with her."

* * *

Danny followed Froggy into the hallway. She looked ahead, where Mean Skunkie was talking to Hair Clip, then up the hall. Danny leaned around her and saw a barracuda, in a business suit, swimming towards them.

 _||I didn't know Froggy was half-shark,||_ The delusional half-ghost thought, as he looked up at his friend, who was grinning at Mean Skunkie, giant fangs bared. He tried to warn her that Barracuda was coming, but she didn't seem to care. Froggy was gonna eat Mean Skunkie. He tried to stop her, but Froggy said they were gonna play a game.

 _||A game?||_

* * *

"Can I play?"

Sam's smirk grew. "Of course, you can," She said, magnanimously, as Jazz came from the other direction. She pushed the ghost-boy into his sister's arms. "You stay here, with Turkey Leg. Close your eyes, and count to twenty, and I'll use my Froggy magic to make the Mean Skunkie _disappear_ ," She said this last part with a flair of mystery, and the boy did as he was instructed.

"Um... Sam?" Jazz tried to ask, but didn't get the chance. Her brother hugged her, tightly, burying his face in her stomach, as he started counting. At least, that's what she guessed he was doing.

"Nine, eleven, pineapple, maple syrup, tango, twenty-seven, color-guard, jump rope, five, Q..." As her brother 'counted', Jazz could only watch her goth friend, nervously.

Suddenly, Sam lit into Paulina.

Then, Principal Ishiyama lit into _everyone_.

* * *

 **AN: Hey, everybody! :)**

 **Everyone reading this: "Ellie, that don't make no sense."**

 **Ellie: "Yeah, I know. But, I figured, in a town like Amity Park,** ** _all_** **the teachers couldn't be normal. Besides, it just kinda leaked out one of my ears, and onto the screen..."**

 **Have you noticed that most of Danny's delusions in this chapter involved food? I must've been hungry when I wrote it. *Blushes***

 **So, last week, my friend, InsomniacWhoOverlept, made this AWESOME fanart for the fic! I put the link in chapter 8, 'cause that's the scene in the art. So, everybody go check it out, because it's absolutely AMAZING!**

 **Also, I know Jonesie isn't the greatest OC, but I wanted to write something weird, to really show off Danny's condition, and this is what I got. Jonesie will be back later, but he won't be in this much. There'll probably be, like, three chapters where he actually has any lines, and a couple other moments where he's mentioned. So, for anyone who doesn't like him, don't worry. :)**

 **So, Danny's medicine is wearing off, and he's a little more openly-crazy. And, next week, we tackle detention with the Huntress :)) I can't wait!**

 **And, last thing, seriously. I have had a very hard time writing this paragraph, without spoilers, but I think this is the best I can do. You may have noticed that I changed the rating from K+ to T? That's because I hadn't realized just how violent this was going to get near the end. There will be _implications_ of child abuse, but there _is none_. Just mentions of suspicions. Danny does get pretty beat up in ghost fights, and I can't believe no one in Amity Park ever even considers it. That is _literally_ the only reason I bumped the rating up. So, don't worry too much about it, I just didn't want to get in trouble for it :)**

 **Anyhow, tell me whatcha think :)**

 **As always,  
God bless, and I hope you enjoyed! :)  
\- Ellie**


	12. 11: Detention - Day 1

**Chapter 11:**  
 **Detention, Day 1**

* * *

So. Here they sat. A smirking goth girl, a confused Huntress, a snotty princess, her equally snotty sidekick, three block-headed jocks, a delusional half-ghost, a goody-two-shoes bookworm, and their still-grumpy English teacher.

Of course, Jazz wasn't, actually, _part_ of the detention group. But, detention was in the library, today, so the redhead figured it would be a good way to keep an eye out for her little brother. She didn't know Sam was going to be there, and, by the looks of it, Sam hadn't know Jazz would. But, with the end of the day approaching, both girls knew _something_ had to happen. It had never not. So, the more hands they had, the better.

The teacher had split their cliques up, to try and cut down on 'troublemaker groups'. So, from left to right, Jason, Sam, Dash, Valerie, Paulina, Kwan, Danny, and Star sat in a straight line, across the back of a table, facing their teacher. Jazz sat behind her desk, nearby, head buried in a book. She pretended to read, while, secretly, keeping an eye on a certain blue-eyed half-ghost.

Mr. Lancer sighed, hands on his hips. "Alright, people. Would anyone like to explain to me exactly _what_ has gotten into all of you, today?"

"Paulina's a shallow little witch," Sam answered, plainly. "Oh, wait, that's every day," She corrected.

"Oh, you did _not_ ," The Latina said, rising, perfectly-manicured claws at the ready. Star was already moving to help her.

"Miss Sanchez. Miss Alistair. Miss Manson," The teacher warned. They sat back down. Paulina folded her arms, but she and Star continued to glare at the goth girl. Sam just smirked back, as Lancer cleared his throat. "Let's start with you, Mr. Baxter."

The terrified jock glanced down at Valerie, on his left, then Sam, on his right. He swallowed. "I... Uh... Pass."

The teacher sighed, again. "Alright. How about you, Mr. Fenton." It was more of an order, than a request, but that didn't really matter. The boy was sound asleep.

 _||Thank goodness. The_ _last_ _thing we need is Danny calling Mr. Lancer 'Goat Man', in here,||_ Jazz thought. Her relief soon disappeared, though, as the teacher tried to wake her brother up.

"Mr. Fenton. _Mr. Fenton_."

"Goat Man. Sleepy. Ghost in the school." Snickers rose around the room, as Jazz sighed in her head.

 _||Oops. Spoke too soon.||_

* * *

After another minute of trying to get through to Danny, then a few more of prodding the other detentionaires for information, (all without success,) the overweight teacher gave up. He leaned back in his chair, with a pair of headphones, a cup of coffee, and a copy of _Moby Dick_. His students guessed he was trying to keep any eye on them and block them out, at the same time.

The A-Listers were careful not to be heard, but they couldn't resist messing with the sleep-talker. Sam, Jazz, and Valerie all did their best to stop them, but Mr. Lancer said that this was what you got for sleeping in class. And, unless Danny said something _really_ crazy, there was no reason for them to get another detention over it. (Sam had all of this week, and some of next, covered, as it was.) The boy was spouting nonsense, anyhow.

* * *

"Hey, Fenton," Kwan whispered, temporarily forgetting who this boy was under the protection of. A shiver ran down his spine, when he saw the glare the nerd's sister was sending him, over top of her book. But, he ignored it and continued. What was the redhead gonna do, anyhow? She was basically a walking, talking stick.

"Who's Goat Man," The jock asked. Danny sat up, eyes opening, though they really didn't see anything. Everyone could tell he was still sound asleep.

* * *

Sam was worried. It was past time for Danny's medicine, but she couldn't give it to him, here. Not and still avoid the long list of questions she didn't want to answer.

The boy pointed to Mr. Lancer, answering Kwan's question, "Goat Man." Snickers rose around the table. "Turkey Leg," He looked at his sister. "Apples and the king of Canada wanna cook Hair Clip," He pointed at Star.

"' _Hair Clip_ '?" The blonde cheerleader wondered, aloud.

"Tell them I said 'no'," Jazz replied, calmly. Danny nodded, and laid back down on the table.

"'Turkey Leg'?" Dash asked, confused into near-civility. The redhead just shrugged, eyes never leaving her book. Sam started running through possible explanations (lies) in her head, for Danny's behavior, but the populars let it drop. Unfortunately, this freed them up to mess with the boy, some more.

"Hey, Fenton," Paulina said. When he didn't respond, Star poked him with the end of her glittery, pink-feathered pen. Detention or not, Sam was going to have to kill those two, before this was over. She just knew it.

"No!" He whined. "Frosty ate the camel. Poor camel."

"Whatever," She waved him off. "You, like, know I'm still, totally, going to kill you for destroying my phone, right?" Great. She was still on that.

Danny sat back up, still asleep, but staring at the snobby girl, all the same. "You can't do that." It was the most lucid he'd sounded in hours, and Sam suddenly felt _very_ nervous.

She scoffed. "And, why not. You broke my phone, you have to pay for it."

Danny shook his head, groggily. "You can't kill me. I'm already dead." Several confused noises rose around the room, both from the kids at the detention table and from the few students who sat nearby. Though, Jazz and Sam were stunned silent, and Valerie sounded like she might puke. "I'm a ghost. Boo," The boy finished. At that last word, he waved his arms around, weakly, looking all-too-much like The Box Ghost. Sam felt herself pale, and could see Jazz doing the same. Had the situation not been so serious, it would have been funny.

 _||Wait. Why does_ _Valerie_ _look nervous?||_ Sam wondered, suspiciously. Suddenly, the whole room (minus Lancer and the four ghost-hunters,) burst out laughing. The three girls joined, chuckling nervously, Sam sending suspicious glances at the Huntress, until Mr. Lancer looked up from his book to tell everyone to keep it down.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Sam convinced the others that Lancer wasn't even looking, so they could all sit where they wanted to. She sat beside side of the ghost-boy, at one end of the table, Jazz flanking his other side, under the guise of organizing a stack of books. Valerie sat across from the delusional ghost, and the A-Listers crowded around the table's other end. Lancer never had a clue.

"Why did you tell Dash to leave us alone?" Sam said, somewhat-coldly. Jazz cleared her throat. "Not that I'm complaining," The goth girl clarified.

 _||Because I'm an idiot, and I'm trying to make up for all the stupid, unnecessary, vindictive things I've put the town hero through, over the past nine months,||_ Valerie thought. Outside of her mind, though, she shrugged.

"He's my friend. You and Tucker aren't bad, either. You, either, Jazz," She nodded at the redhead, like she'd just realized she was there. Jazz nodded back, stealing a glance at Lancer, to be sure he didn't see. "Dash is a jerk. He needed his ego handed to him, so he could see just how big it really is," She shrugged, again. "Seemed like a win for everyone."

"Can't say I disagree," Sam smirked, then it dropped. "That's it?"

"That's it," Valerie said. She hoped she'd kept a straight face.

 _||That, and the fact that I know he's a superhero, now. I guess I kinda am, too. We might, as well, work together.||_

"Why? Is there some reason I shouldn't?" She said, pulling off the 'curious little kid' look, almost as well as Danny. It must've been enough.

"No, no!" Sam said, nervously, waving her hands in front of her. "No reason. Just... Wanted to be sure. Heh, heh."

The boy next to he whimpered, like a puppy, scraping at the ground with one foot. "Don't touch my marbles. I've already lost too many." The three girls looked at him for a moment, then they were all fighting to breathe, while stifling their giggles. The previous subject was quickly dropped.

"Wha- No. No turtles. Too much bacon, already. Box Lunch stole my teddy bear," The boy opened his eyes, slightly, but closed them again.

"He has a teddy bear?" Valerie quirked an eyebrow.

"Nope," Sam smirked, popping the 'p'.

The three sat in a comfortable semi-silence for the rest of detention, sharing a laugh at the ghost-boy's outbursts, every now and then. Sam and Jazz were still a bit apprehensive, but, to Valerie's eternal relief, no more questions were asked.

When Lancer stood to dismiss them all, he seemed surprised. Not that they'd switched, just that he hadn't noticed them doing it.

And, so, the four teens went their separate ways. Valerie had work, and Jazz and Sam had a frost-giant to talk to. Of course, Valerie didn't know that last part.

And, that's how Tucker got halfa-sitting duty.

* * *

 **AN: Hey, everybody! :)**

 **I know this one's a little short, but I'm making up for that next week! You'll see ;)**

 **Also, for anyone who had trouble, I fixed the artwork link in Chapter 8 :) Anyone who hasn't checked out InsomniacWhoOverslept's work is seriously missing out! :)))**

 **As always,  
God bless, and I hope you enjoyed! :)  
\- Ellie**


	13. 12: The Core Of The Problem

**Chapter 12:**  
 **The Core Of The Problem**

* * *

Sam was absolutely exhausted, and Jazz's peppiness was really starting to get on her nerves. Having finished online classes for the day _hours_ before, the older girl had taken a nap during classes, while the library was empty.

Bottom line: The redhead was rested and ready to go. The goth girl was not.

The two left Danny with Ellie and Tucker and headed into the Ghost Zone. No, it really wasn't all that safe, going without Danny, but he wouldn't have been much help, right then, anyhow. (Unless the ghosts were too busy laughing, to attack.) Besides, they were both armed, and they were just going to see Frostbite. The FarFrozen people had some of the greatest medical technology out there. There had to be _some_ way to cure this ghost-cold, right?

* * *

"There's no real way to cure it," The frost-giant stated. "Other than what you've been doing."

"What!?" The girls asked. After the last few days, even _Sam's_ stress was beginning to show. And, poor Jazz still had gum in her hair.

"Judging by the symptoms you've described to me, the halfas have what is called a 'core cold'. It is fairly common, among ghosts. Similar to your human flu. I'm quite surprised you haven't encountered it before, especially with the outbreak we had, last autumn."

"A 'core cold'?" Jazz asked, as Sam gaped in what looked to be exhausted despair. In answer, the frost-giant motioned for them to follow him, leading them into a large ice-palace. They went down a beautifully-glistening hallway, studded with portraits of great FarFrozen of the past, and into what they assumed was Frostbite's study. He walked over to a shelf, pulling out a scroll. A green light enveloped it, as he unrolled it, mid-air, using his ecto-kinesis, revealing a diagram of the ghost nervous system.

"You see, what humans misunderstand is that ghosts are just as alive as you are. When a creature dies and becomes a ghost, it is very much like being revived. Only, they are revived into a new, ectoplasmic body, since the old one is no-longer functional. This is why ghosts can also be born. We have physical bodies that must be cared for, properly, or we could become ill, or even die."

"Wait, ghosts can _die_?" The redhead asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Oh, yes," He pointed to a small object on the diagram, just up and right of where a human heart normally sat. The one in the diagram glowed, constantly changing in a rainbow of colors. "A ghost's core is their most-vital organ. Without it, we cannot survive. Even halfas. It is the source of our powers, it is the home of our souls. If a ghost's core is destroyed, or starved of their obsession for too long, they will perish." Sam already knew all of this, and Jazz knew some, but the goth knew that Frostbite was just re-giving the speech for the redhead's sake.

It was her own fault, really. She should've told Danny's sister more about their meeting with the yeti-like ghost, the month before.

"And, Danny's is sick?" Jazz asked, worriedly. "Are you sure he'll be okay? What if his core is damaged?"

"Now, now, child. Cores are stronger than that, otherwise they couldn't endure the near-constant fighting-for-power involved in being a ghost. He will be absolutely fine," The frost-giant assured, placing a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder. "But, if you should become truly worried, you can always bring him - either of them - here, for a thorough check-up. I doubt it will become too serious, though. Cores are tougher than human organs. It's as my friend, Glacier, once said: 'If you're going to put all of your eggs in one basket, you should, at least, make the eggs out of steel.'" He said, grinning and thumping his chest, with one clawed fist. "Of course, he had a core cold at the time, and was a bit delusional, himself."

The two girls looked at each other. "What can we do for Danny and Ellie, in the meantime?" Sam asked.

"Halfas are incredibly rare, so medical knowledge of them is scarce, as well. But, it sounds as though his human half has become sick, along with his ghost half. The best thing to do would probably be to continue just as you have been. Keep giving both of them the human medicines that are designed for their symptoms, though they likely won't help cure the cold, itself. Ensure they rest, drink plenty of fluids, and eat. Basically, everything you would do for a human cold. The illness should resolve itself within a few days. A week, tops. The main problem will be keeping their more... _ghostly_ symptoms from being seen by the humans."

Jazz nodded. "Wait," Sam said, remembering something. "Why are Ellie's symptoms different from Danny's, if they both have the same thing?"

"Simply, because she is younger," He smiled. "The great one's core matured to the first stage, several months ago, when Undergrowth was attacking your home. Evidently, Ellie's has not, as of yet."

"His core matured?" Jazz asked.

"Oh, yes," The yeti-like ghost answered, nodding.

Sam knew this part. "There are six 'life-stages' for ghosts. Like milestones, for humans."

"Oh," The redhead said, looking from Sam to Frostbite, and back. She was clearly not following.

"Ghosts who have died and become ghosts - aptly called 'dead-ghosts' - do not age in the same manner as humans and 'born-ghosts'. Instead, they go though six developmental stages, which are similar to what humans call 'milestones'. For humans, these stages - such as loosing their first tooth or saying their first words - are reached at approximately the same age. This is why you group schoolchildren chronologically. But, for ghosts, these stages can be reached at any time. Your brother could reach the next stage tomorrow, or next century. There's really no way to tell, until it happens," Frostbite explained.

"The first stage is when a ghost's core matures enough to use their core-powers," Sam said, pointing to the rainbow-colored core diagram, again.

Frostbite nodded. "Yes. Core-Powers are determined by a ghost's core-type. There are many different core-types, including fire, water, electricity, -"

"Ice?" Jazz asked.

"Exactly," He grinned. "Your brother has an ice core, while Ellie has an electricity core. Though she is not old enough to harness her powers, yet, her core can still use her powers on its own. Such as, when she senses that another ghost is near, or when she sneezes." He turned to face both girls. "A core cold's symptoms are worse, the older the ill ghost is."

"Like with human chicken pox. The older you are, the worse you have it," Jazz reasoned.

"Exactly," Frostbite smiled. "The great one's core has already matured to the first stage, but Ellie's has not. Therefore, he will experience more serious symptoms than she will." The frost-giant turned, tapping his chin, and reaching for another scroll. Then, he put it back, and continued searching for the one he wanted.

"What's the second stage?" Jazz asked.

Sam grinned, almost evilly. "He gets his baby fangs in."

"...Baby fangs? Tell me you're kidding."

"Nope," The goth girl grinned wider, popping the 'P'.

"Fangs? Like a vampire? Like _Vlad_ 's?"

"Yep," Sam answered, popping the 'P', again. "He absolutely _hates_ it."

"I can imagine," The redhead said, then grinned, herself. Her little brother was _never_ gonna live this down.

"...So," Sam started, turning back to their white-furred friend. "If Ellie has an electricity core, and Danny has an ice core, how come both of their ghost-senses are ice-powers blue?"

"Because, all 'ghost-senses', as you call them -" He chuckled slightly at the name, "- are this color, unless the ghost in question's core has been corrupted," He answered, somewhat distractedly, still searching through his scrolls.

The two girls nodded and looked at each other. "We'd better get back, before Delusional Danny and Electric Ellie kill Terrified Tucker. Or, get caught," Sam said. The two girls thanked Frostbite and hurried out the way they had come. The yeti-like ghost didn't seem to hear them, though, as he continued to quickly scanned through the shelves.

* * *

"Aha," Frostbite said, as he finally found what he needed. "Now, you may need to watch out for terrents," He said, opening the scroll and skimming through its contents. "Core colds have a tendency to-" He paused, looking up. He had been about to lend the girls a scroll with more information on the symptoms their friends might experience, but they were already gone. "...Oh, well. I'm sure they'll return, if they need anything else," He said, to the empty room.

* * *

"Mikey, Honey! Are your little friends staying for supper!?" Mikey's mother shouted from the bottom of the stairs. In the floor, sitting next to a pile of pencils and notebooks, the geek in question blushed.

"Just a second," He said to his two friends, standing and going to the staircase. "Yeah, Ma! We're working on an important project!"

"Okay, Sweetie! Tell Clark I made sure to get egg-free noodles for the spaghetti, this time!"

"Thanks, Mrs. Holloway!" Clark called, smiling.

"You're welcome, Sweetie!" She answered. Mikey returned, closing his bedroom door and sitting back down. His best friend, Lester Schwartz, also sitting in the floor, towered over him. Mikey had grown a little over the past summer, but he was still the second shortest in his grade, right after Danny Fenton. Clark Reuben, Mike's other friend, who had move to Amity Park the year before, was third. Lester, meanwhile, was one of the tallest, now. He had even passed that bully, Baxter, by a few inches.

While Mikey had stayed mostly the same, a lot had changed about Les since Freshman year. He'd ditched his braces, glasses, and alien-head sweater, trading them in for straight teeth, contacts, and a dark-burgundy, alien-head sweatshirt. (He'd also traded out his crush on Valerie Gray, for one on Carson Chaney, Casper High's resident punk-rocker girl.) With Mike and Clark's help, he'd, somehow, managed to get his curls a little more under-control. His hair wasn't straight, by any means, but at least he didn't look like a 'geeky-clown', (as Dash had put it,) anymore. His voice had gotten a lot deeper, since Freshman year, while Mikey's had stayed nearly the same. Clark was somewhere in the middle.

Mike jumped right back into the conversation, as though it had never been interrupted. "Okay, so we've established that a real spy would never admit they're a spy," He began.

"But, a fake spy would, because he's not a real spy and doesn't understand the gravity of admitting you're a spy if you really are one," Clark added.

"Right, -" Mikey tried, again.

" _But_ ," Lester emphasized, interrupting the shorter redhead, again. "A _real_ spy would know that. So, a real spy might _say_ that they're a spy, so everyone thinks they're a fake spy."

"- Exactly," Mikey said.

"So, which is it?" Clark asked. "Is a person, who says they're a spy, a real spy or a fake spy?" The three sat for a moment, thinking.

"We're going to need more information," Mikey announced, finally.

* * *

 **AN: Hey, everybody! :)**

 **Maybe the geeks know something. Maybe they don't. Maybe they figured something out. Maybe you know what it is. Maybe they didn't figure anything out, at all. Maybe this scene just came to me, and I put it here to mess with you. ~You'll have to wait n' seeeeeeee!~ ;)**

 **Oh, you thought** ** _this_** **was going to be the chapter about Tucker's halfa-sitting? Nope. That's next chapter, and I can't** ** _wait_** **for you guys to read it! XD And, I know this chapter was kinda boring and lame, but it was necessary for the plot. So, please, bear with me. Just a little? :)**

 **Okay, I told you I would make up for last week's short chapter, so come back Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the day after Christmas (my brother's birthday), for three more updates :))**

 **Also, I know OCs have a kind of a bad reputation, but I really hope nobody hates Clark too much. *Nervous grin* Anyhow, he's gonna be in the fic a good bit, but nowhere near as much as Danny, so I hope it's not too bad :)**

 **As always,  
God bless, and I hope you enjoyed! :)  
\- Ellie**


	14. 13: Adventures In Halfa-Sitting

**Chapter 13:**  
 **Adventures In Halfa-Sitting**

* * *

"Storm the castle! Poach the eggs! Hire a new maid!" Danny shouted, standing on the Foleys' living room couch, brandishing a sword he'd made with his ice powers. The boy was as delusional as ever, but, like his clone, had finally gotten his nap out. Now, he was delusional _and_ hyper. Joy.

"No, Danny! We're playing pirates, not knights!" Ellie shouted. She was now in her ghost form. Her (apparently, transformation-proof) fairy costume still in place, but with an eye-patch added.

"Hoist the mainstay!" The tiny eleventh-grader shouted, throwing his pirate hat into the air. "Fire on the poop deck!" Tucker was _so glad_ his parents weren't home. His mom was still out with Aunt Macy, and his dad had to work late.

 ***Crash***

A (thankfully, non-broken) floor lamp landed on its side, as Danny jumped off the couch. He changed to his human form as he tumbled across the floor, dodging Ellie's 'cannonballs' (pillows). Tucker was just glad they weren't using their powers, too much. Danny's sword was the worst thing they'd done, ghost-wise.

The techno-geek looked at the clock. It was already 6:30. His mom would be home in an hour. Hopefully, it would be long enough to get the Terrible Two settled down, and their mess cleaned up.

Ellie jumped up on the arm of a chair, as the ghost-boy rolled to a crouch, nearby. They clashed sword-to-broomstick with each other, staring into each other's eyes for a few overly-dramatic moments. Then, Ellie leaned in and whispered something to the older Phantom.

The delusional halfa grinned a grin Tucker hoped he would never grin, again.

Danny backed off with his sword, and his clone dived off the chair, rolling to stand in front of the ill-prepared babysitter. She brandished her broomstick-sword against his throat,and he raised his hands, out of instinct. "You are now my prisoner," The little girl announced, grinning mercilessly. Tucker tried to back away, but his best friend suddenly appeared (Or, rather, reappeared. He'd been invisible.) behind him, his sword poking into his back.

The nerdy boy sighed. He knew better than to fight against them. He'd learned, hours ago, that it was best to just play along. "Yes, oh, great pirate-princess Ellie. I am your slave. Forever bound by the laws of the unicorns," He deadpanned, trying hard not to roll his eyes. He'd learned better than that, too.

"Eureka!" Ellie shouted, pointing her 'sword' at the ceiling, triumphantly.

"Let them eat cake!" Danny shouted, doing the same. With his other hand, he blasted Tucker half-way across the room. The ecto-beam didn't really hurt, but it quickly morphed into rope, tying the tech-loving teen up. Tucker hadn't even known Danny could do that. He laid on the floor, trussed up like a Christmas turkey, seriously re-thinking his life-choices.

* * *

He was going to kill them. How could they leave him alone, to care for two sick halfas, for over _two hours_? They said Danny was delusional, but he wondered if they'd ever even _met_ Ellie. He was pretty sure 'delusional' was her default setting.

He now sat, still tied up, in a make-shift ice cage, (courtesy of Danny,) in the attic. He had no idea where the little mastermind had gone, but he had a feeling she wasn't taking a nap. "Come on, bro. Just, let me out. Please," He begged his best friend, who now stood guard over him, in ghost-form.

"No talking, without the princess's permission, Robo-Panda!"

 _||'Robo-Panda',||_ He thought, dispassionately, nearly knocking his head against the bars. But, as far as delusional nicknames went, at least he hadn't gotten the worst one. It was still better than 'Turkey Leg', and it sounded kinda like a movie title.

He looked at his friend, who was now enthralled by an incredibly-interesting dust mote, floating around the room. If Tucker had to guess, based solely on the half-ghost's expression, he would say the dust mote was probably talking to him. He had no idea what Ellie had said to make Danny not only join her pirate crew, but turn on his best friend, but it had worked like a charm.

Actually, she probably hadn't had to say anything. She probably just babbled off a list of unconnected words, and let Danny fill in the gaps.

 _||Okay, then. If Ellie's going to use Danny's delusions to her advantage, why shouldn't I do the same?||_ He wriggled a semi-free hand into the pocket that held his PDA, leaning so he could see the screen, without Danny noticing. (Not that there was much chance of the sick halfa noticing anything, at the moment.) He pulled up one of those old, virtual ping-pong games, hoping it would be enough to keep his friend busy.

"...I'm not talking," He finally replied. Danny looked at him, confused eyes widening, as he abandoned the dust mote. "I'm using telepathy. It only _looks_ like I'm talking, because, otherwise... the mosquitoes wouldn't like it. So, this is, totally, still within the rules." The elder halfa just stared at him a moment, before nodding, seeming to understand this very important piece of information.

 _||Good. Because,_ _I_ _sure don't,||_ Tucker thought, glancing at the clock.

 _||Forty-five minutes to get these two settled down, and their mess cleaned up.||_ Ellie had been somewhat-cooperative, earlier. That Ellie had vaporized and been replaced by a sparkly, rainbow demon. Danny was his last chance. He didn't like tricking his best friend, but this was an emergency, and he would thank him, later.

 _After_ Tucker showed him the video.

"So, as a wielder of technological magic," He started, dramatically, brandishing his PDA as best he could against the glowing, green restraints. The half-ghost stood from a crouch, where he'd been watching the dust fly around, walking towards him. Tucker _really_ hoped he wasn't going to regret this. "I grant you, Sir Daniel James Fenton-Phantom, the right to hold Janet. Do you accept this great honor?" The halfa stared at the tiny computer, as though it were a great gemstone.

"Caramel puppy-dogs?" He asked, weakly, sounding every bit like a sick four-year-old, who just wanted his mommy.

"Absolutely," His friend answered, with a straight face. "But, in order to partake in this incredible mission, of terrible importance, you must release me. So we can... lobster, anomaly, bankrupt, pork rinds?" He started off well enough, but the ending tapered into an embarrassingly-high-pitched question. Nevertheless, the ropes disappeared and the cage poofed into snow, falling down around him. The halfa took the digital device from Tucker's hand, reverentially, and plopped down in the floor, playing the video game, as if it were his entire world. His eyes were wide, and a string of drool slipped down the side of his face.

 _||If he does any sort of damage to that PDA, Sam is going to get me a new one. The latest model, too,||_ He thought, bitterly. His eyes narrowed, as he turned to glare at the attic door, unsure of what nightmares awaited him on the other side.

 _||Now, to take care of the little one.||_

* * *

Sam and Jazz got to Tucker's at fifteen-to-seven, to find Danny sitting on the couch, drooling (literally) over a video game. Next to him, Ellie was sprawled out, one arm dangling off the couch's edge, sound asleep. Both wore sparkly tutus. Ellie had a tiara, an eye-patch, and stripey socks, while Danny sported a pirate hat, a bandana around his neck, and had what looked like beads and macaroni glued in his hair. (Along with the gum from the day before.)

Stepping further inside, they found Tucker, in the kitchen.

Wearing an apron.

And, a tiara of his own.

Doing the dishes.

The two teenaged girls turned and tried to sneak back out, quietly. "Hold it, right, there, you two!" He whisper-yelled, careful not to stir up either of the Phantom Firecrackers. He tore the apron off, wadding it up in his hand, putting his fists on his hips. "I cook! I clean! I watch the halfas! Do you have any idea how much Ellie can eat!? I'm gonna have to go get more groceries! And, all the while, _you two_ are out, half the night, playing with your _ghost friends_! What about _my_ needs!?"

They could tell the boy was stressed.

"We're sorry we were out so late," Jazz said, taking full control of the situation, in her 'psychologist-voice', as Danny called it. She took the apron from Tucker, hanging it on its hook, then put her hands on the boy's shoulders, guiding him to one of the living room chairs. "We should have been more considerate, but we didn't know they would be that much trouble, for you. Now, you just rest here, while Sam and I take care of the rest of the work."

The goth girl looked like she was about to protest, but a look from Jazz silenced her. "Yeah," She sighed. "What time will your folks be home?"

Tucker looked at the clock. "Sometime within the next fifteen minutes," He deadpanned, then paled, realizing what he'd just said. He jumped from the chair. "Fifteen minutes!?" The two older girls shushed him, gesturing to the Horrible Halfas. He turned to see Ellie stirring in her sleep, and Danny watching them, with a creepy intensity. The blue-eyed boy raised his hand, slowly and eerily, pointing at his sister. And, for a moment, he looked absolutely terrifying.

"Turkey Leg ate my socks." Then it was gone.

"Why did you eat his socks?"

"I _didn't_ eat his socks!"

"SHHHH!" The two younger teens tried to quiet the redhead, frantically. The three watched in horror as the little girl on the couch stretched and sat up, blinking sleepily at them, before laying back down the other direction and snuggling into Danny's side. They watched for a moment longer, before releasing the breaths they hadn't realized they'd been holding.

"Guys, my parents think I'm sick, in bed! What are they going to do, if they find the house a wreck, and all of us hanging out together!? They'll know I ditched!" Tucker whisper-screamed.

"Okay. First off, the house really doesn't look that bad... Man, you did a _really_ good job," Jazz said, looking around.

"You haven't seen the attic."

* * *

 **AN: Merry Christmas Eve, everybody! :)**

 **Just a little present that I hope will bring you a smile, today :) And, I'll be back, tomorrow, with a longer chapter, so stay tuned :))**

 **As always,  
God bless, and I hope you enjoyed! :)  
\- Ellie**


	15. 14: Tough As Steel

**Chapter 14:**  
 **Tough As Steel**

* * *

Somehow, (though, none of them would ever know _how_ ,) Sam, Tucker, and Jazz had gotten the Foleys' house completely cleaned, and snuck the halfas back to _FentonWorks_ , before Tucker's parents got home, and (hopefully) without being seen by anyone. (Though, they'd had to hide one lighting char behind a picture of Tucker getting an award for one of his computer program designs. But, it was okay, because Mrs. Foley had been meaning to hang the thing for ages, anyhow.) It was an absolute _miracle_ they'd gotten everything done in time. In the back of her mind, Sam wondered if Clockwork had had anything to do with it. It seemed like one of the only logical explanations.

Jazz went to grab a shower, leaving the goth girl to tend to the sick half-ghosts. But, Ellie was nothing but a knob in the bed, and Danny had figured out how to make toy spaceships with his ice powers, and was using them to play 'destroy the banana kingdom', so they weren't too much trouble.

The vegan teen dozed off for a minute, while the older girl was out of the room, but Jazz didn't need to know that. When Sam woke up, the mini ghost-shield was still on, (reprogrammed by Tucker to handle the halfas in either form,) and there were no guns pointed at them, so she figured there was no harm done.

Afterwards, Jazz worked on getting Danny cleaned up and ready for bed, while Sam handled Ellie, being careful not to wake her. "Urgh!" The redhead growled in frustration. "Delusional or not, I will never understand why you felt the need to glue beads and macaroni noodles into your hair." She said, pausing to look at her confused little brother, while working one of the last noodles free.

"Actually," Sam started, forcing one of Jazz's old pajama shirts over the still-sleeping Ellie's head, before picking the girl up. "Judging by the dried-up white stuff on Ellie's fingers, I'd say _she_ did the gluing." She held up one of the girl's hands, showing the evidence to the older teen. The two girls paused, giving the tinier halfa a weird look, as she snored, softly, and mumbled in her sleep.

"JAZZY-PANTS! DANNY-BOY!" At the sound of Jack Fenton's voice, Sam nearly dropped Ellie in surprise, and Jazz's hand jerked so hard that the comb she had been using to de-noodle her brother's hair embedded itself in the ceiling. Danny stared at the vibrating hair-care utensil, as his sister motioned Sam to stay put and headed for the top of the stairs.

"Uh... Yeah, Dad?" She asked, as quietly as she could, while still being heard. She could've sworn she heard Ellie mumble in her sleep.

"WHERE'S DANNY-O? DINNER'S ALMOST READY."

"He's, uh, asleep. We ate before we came up."

 _||Well, Danny did,||_ She amended, mentally, thinking back to her brother's incredible power to cover himself entirely in a small bowl of leftover spaghetti.

"And, he was, uh, really tired from staying up all night... Actually, um, I'm about to hit the sack, too. So, uh, if you hear me being really quiet, that's why," She finished, nervously, fake-yawning and stretching, for good measure.

* * *

Five seconds after Jazz had left, Danny had abandoned the comb in the ceiling and gone back to playing spaceships. He was levitating icy stations, ships, and astronauts around the room, under the glow-in-the-dark stars that dotted his ceiling, making (thankfully, soft) whooshing and crashing sounds with his mouth.

"So, uh, if you hear me being really quiet, that's why," They heard echo from the hallway.

"If you _hear_ me being _quiet_?" Sam mouthed at the boy, incredulously.

"Froggy," Danny pointed to her, smiling, innocently. Sam shushed him, like a two-year-old. "Pretty, Froggy hair," He whispered, letting his telekinesis drop, and standing to play with her tiny ponytail. Sam was just relieved Mr. Fenton didn't seem to notice the clinking sounds of the ice figures, as they fell. Then again, they weren't nearly as loud as she'd expected. They sounded almost like wind chimes.

* * *

Back outside the room, the man in the orange jumpsuit deflated, and Jazz felt a little guilty. "OH, WELL. IF YOU GET HUNGRY, JUST COME ON DOWN. YOUR MOTHER'S TRYING OUT A NEW RECIPE." Suddenly, all traces of guilt disappeared. She'd had enough chaos today, without fighting for her life, against her own supper.

"I-I will, Dad."

"G'NIGHT, JAZZERINCESS," He smiled, sadly. The big man looked so downhearted, a rarity for the ever-joyful Jack Fenton.

His daughter smiled back, coming part-way down the stairs and kissing her father on the cheek. (She couldn't have reached if she'd come all the way down.) "Goodnight, Daddy." The big man beamed, kissed his daughter on the forehead, and headed back toward the kitchen.

"SLEEP TIGHT! DON'T LET THE GHOST-BUGS BITE!"

* * *

Around half-past eight, Sam decided it would be best if Ellie stayed with her for the night. Apparently, both of them were too much for one person. She would never admit it to the already-conceited techno-geek, but Tucker had done an amazing job. She had fully expected to find a pile of smoldering ashes and three kids covered in soot, where the Foley house used to be.

And, maybe some G.I.W. agents...

The goth girl snuck out of _FentonWorks_ , while the Fenton parents were in their lab, then into her own house, Ellie riding piggy-back the whole way. Thankfully, her parents were at some kind of banquet, so they wouldn't be home for a few more hours, and her grandmother was probably already asleep. She made her way to her bedroom, locked the door, went through the bathroom to the guestroom connected to it, and locked that door, too. She turned on the mini ghost-shield Jazz had sent with her, setting it to cover the two rooms, just to be safe, and settled the little ghost-girl, (who was now wearing some of Jazz's old kitty-cat pajamas,) into the guest bed. Ellie didn't even stir. That girl slept harder than _Danny_.

Sam took a shower, changed, and, promptly, passed out in her own bed. She left the doors between the two rooms open, so she could see Ellie, and Ellie could see her, if she woke up and didn't know where she was.

 _||And, we have to do this all over again, tomorrow,||_ She thought, weakly, as she drifted off.

* * *

After a bit of a struggle, Jazz finally got Danny cleaned up and ready for bed. Outwardly. Inwardly, he was ready to play. She pacified him by handing him a peanut butter sandwich and loading up a game on his computer. One of the old ones, from when they were little. (He couldn't handle much more, at the moment. And, she was afraid he would drop one of his ice figures on her head, while she was asleep, if she left him playing with them.) Then, she collapsed into her reading chair, which was still in her brother's room from the hiccup incident.

 _||Hard to believe that was just last night. Seems like forever ago,||_ She thought, tiredly, watching her half-ghost brother grumble at the puppy dog to 'eat the square kibbles, not the purple ones'. That had nothing to do with _Reader Rabbit_ , it was just him.

She didn't try to correct him, though. It wouldn't do any good, anyway. Somehow, her exhaustion-addled brain managed to process the fact that he was actually _winning_. How, she had no idea. "No, no, no. The turkeys ride in the _other_ boat. Do as I say, not as I want." And, with the door locked, the mini ghost-shield on, and Danny's delusions influencing her soon-to-be _very strange_ dreams, Jazz drifted off to sleep.

 _||And, we have to do it all over again, tomorrow,||_ She whined, in her head.

* * *

Tucker still couldn't believe they'd managed it. The house was spotless, and he was so tired, he wouldn't have to work very hard to convince his folks he was still sick. He got himself ready for bed, and collapsed on the couch. The stairs were too much to handle, right then.

He would never remember his parents coming home, his mom pulling a blanket over him, (because, at six-foot three, he was too big for his dad to carry him up the stairs, anymore,) or their kisses on his forehead. All he would remember was drifting off, to the sounds of a cooking show mixing with his worries.

 _||What if they fall asleep, and Danny's parents see something, and they're not there to straighten it out?||_

"...Add a fourth cup of tomato juice..." The woman on TV instructed.

 _||What if one of them sneezes, again?||_

"...a dash of cayenne pepper..."

 _||What if they figure out how to escape the ghost-shield, wander off somewhere, and we can't find them.||_

"...right on the turkey legs..." Tucker snorted, sleepily.

 _||Can't believe he's calling Jazz 'Turkey Leg', now.||_

"...in the oven, at three-fifty, for twenty minutes..."

 _||I can't believe we have to do it all over again, tomorrow.||_ At that thought, he could've wept.

* * *

Jack and Maddie Fenton stood in the basement, The former holding the latter, as she cried into his chest. "I just feel so _guilty_ about it."

"MADDIE," He chided, gently. "IT WAS AN INNOCENT MISUNDERSTANDING."

"But, I-" He shushed her, gently, lifting her chin, to meet her eyes.

"OUR SON'S A HERO. IF HE COULDN'T TAKE A HIT, HE WOULDN'T BE IN THIS BUSINESS, IN THE FIRST PLACE. WE FENTONS ARE MADE OF TOUGHER STUFF," He thumped on his chest with one black-gloved hand, much in the same way that another giant had, earlier that day.

"But, what if it makes him sick?"

"I'M SURE HE'LL BE FINE. IT'S JUST SUPPOSED TO MAKE GHOSTS FEEL BAD, FOR A LITTLE WHILE. IT WON'T HURT HIM," The big man reasoned. It disturbed him to see his wife, who was usually so calm and collected, so distraught.

"But, _I'm_ the reason he feels bad, and I _still_ have to make him go to school. This is all my fault. I didn't even recognize my own _baby_. I'm a horrible mother."

" **YOU, MOST CERTAINLY,** ** _ARE_** ** _NOT_**." She looked up, at her husband's sharp tone. "MAYBE WE HAVEN'T BEEN AS SUPPORTIVE OR ATTENTIVE AS WE COULD'VE BEEN. - AS WE _SHOULD'VE_ BEEN. - BUT, NOW'S OUR CHANCE TO MAKE IT UP TO HIM. TO BOTH OF THEM."

She sniffed, drying her eyes. "Maybe we should let him stay home, tomorrow. What if he's too weak to defend himself? What if-"

"MADDIE," He cut her sting of worries off, again. "HE'LL TELL US, WHEN HE'S READY. BUT, UNTIL THEN, WE NEED TO PRETEND WE DON'T KNOW ANYTHING. SHOULDN'T BE TOO HARD, AS MUCH AS WE REALLY _DON'T_ KNOW. OUR SON'S A _GHOST_ , FOR CRYIN' OUT LOUD. BESIDES, DID YOU SEE HOW MANY DAYS HE MISSED, LAST YEAR? HE NEEDS ALL THE ATTENDANCE HE CAN MANAGE." His wife seemed unconvinced.

"I don't know, Jack. If something goes wrong here, _we'll_ still love him. But, I don't even want to _think_ about what the _Guys In White_ would do."

"I'M SURE HE CAN HANDLE THIS. HE'S, APPARENTLY, BEEN DOING IT FOR A WHILE. AND, HE'S GOT SAM, AND TUCKER, AND JAZZ ON HIS SIDE. AND, WHO KNOWS _WHO_ ELSE." The big man was unusually serious. "ONCE HE COMES TO US, WE CAN HELP HIM HANDLE ALL OF THIS. I WANT HIM TO TRUST US. I DON'T WANT HIM TO FEEL LIKE HE SHOULD BE AFRAID, OR LIKE HE _HAS_ TO TELL US. I WANT HIM TO KNOW WE STILL LOVE AND TRUST HIM. HE'S BEEN SHOULDERING MORE RESPONSIBILITY THAN _I_ COULD EVER CARRY. HECK, AND TAKING _PUNISHMENT_ FOR IT." He looked at the arsenal strewn across the lab's counters, and his expression became thoughtful. "WE NEED TO STOP BEING SUCH ENEMIES TO GHOSTS, UNLESS THEY'RE ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING WRONG."

"But- But, ghosts are _dangerous_ , Jack! We can't just-"

"IF OUR DANNY-BOY'S A GHOST, AND HE'S NOT EVIL, MAYBE WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THINGS THE WRONG WAY. LETTING OUR THEORIES CLOUD OUR JUDGMENT." The woman stared at the floor, seeming to consider it. She placed a hand over her husband's, which was sitting on her shoulder.

"Maybe you're right, Jack," She looked up at him. "I think we've been relying on theories for too long. From now on, if we want to know something about ghosts, we'll get our information _from_ a ghost. No more treating speculations as reality." There was steel in her eyes. Not malicious steel. Determined steel.

It was the steel her husband saw every time she chased down a ghost. Every time she worked on a particularly-difficult equation. (Every time she was trying hard not to bite Pamela Manson's head off. Literally.)

It was the same steel he'd seen in his son's eyes, only days before, when he'd watched him fight off the mechanical ghost. (Sulky, was it?) The steel that had made him pause, in near-recognition, before firing on him.

The steel that had returned, when Jazz was in the other room, and Sam was asleep. When Jack found Phantom, fighting delusion-monsters, in his son's bedroom. The steel that lingered, as he transformed back into the Danny that Jack knew and loved, before settling down in the floor to play with cryokinetic-spaceships, pointing up at him and saying 'Daddy'.

It was the same steel he'd seen in Jazz's eyes, whenever he and Maddie threatened Phantom. Whenever they threatened _Danny_.

It was the steel his children had gotten from their wonderful, beautiful, strong, brave, intelligent, _incredible_ mother.

It was the steel that meant something _big_ was coming.

* * *

 **AN: Well... That's not exactly how I had intended for this to go, but... Okay.**

 **Merry Christmas, everybody! :)**

 **Yep. The Fentons know, now! So, let's see how that plays out :)**

 **Well, that's the end of day one, and it only took me, what, three months? And, a special, extra-long, family chapter for Christmas. I wish I could say I planned for this to be posted today from the beginning, but I didn't even notice it until a few weeks ago :)**

 **And, to Bear: The site wouldn't let me reply, but thank you, so, so much! I'm so glad you like it! *Happy-Dancing, because I love reviews* Merry Christmas! :)))))**

 **Also, before I forget, I do not own** ** _Reader Rabbit_** **. (Unless you mean the CD-ROMs. I have a couple of those, though they're probably scratched beyond playable. They're, like, fourteen years old.)**

 **Whether you celebrate anything today or not, I hope you have a wonderful day, overflowing with nothing but love, kindness, and more blessings then you could ever count :)**

 **As always,  
God bless, and I hope you enjoyed! :)  
\- Ellie**


	16. 15: It Begins, Anew

**Chapter 15:**  
 **It begins, Anew**

* * *

Danny had played the funny video game Turkey Leg pulled up for him for a long time, before he finally got sleepy. He didn't know how long he was awake, but it was dark when he started playing, and there was sunshine outside the window when he went to bed.

He'd had weird dreams, again, too. He went back into the portal, and un-died, losing his ghost powers and becoming a human, again. Then, an asteroid made of a type of rock that electrocutes ghosts was headed towards earth, and Vlad revealed his powers, to take over the world. Then, Danny kissed Sammy in the snow, united all the ghosts, saved the world, and revealed his own powers. _Then_ , Vlad got lost in space, Tucker became the mayor, and Danny and Sammy missed the saving-the-world party everyone threw for Phantom, so they could go on a date.

 _||Man, that was weird. Vlad doesn't even_ _like_ _space.||_

Now, Danny sat on the end of his bed, still sleepy, but fighting it to tell Turkey Leg about his dream. She was completely enthralled.

 _||Maybe I should become a professional story-teller,||_ He thought, as the giant, sentient food gasped, and begged for more details.

* * *

Jazz, totally, had this covered. It had taken her way too long to figure it out, but, now that she had, she knew exactly what to do. She sat next to her brother, on the end of his bed, working on the rat's nest that was his hair. Thankfully, it was free of gum, beads, and macaroni, now. She was surprised no one had said anything at school, the day before.

"The candy jumped into the pool," Her brother said, eyes wide. Jazz fake-gasped, covering her mouth with one hand. "And, Froggy was on the roof, with a blender."

"Really? Tell me more," She said, in mock-astonishment.

"Robo-Panda, in the tree, with the weasels. And, he ate all the chocolate pies."

"Goodness!" She had no idea what he was saying, and figured he didn't either. But, playing along had him sitting (mostly) still. Though, she still had to work around his whole-arm, story-telling gestures.

It was moments like this she was glad Danny hadn't grown to be seven feet tall, like the doctors had predicted, when he was little. He'd stopped growing after the portal accident, which meant Jazz was still bigger than him. That didn't mean she had complete control over the situation, though. He kept trying to float away, as she shoved his dark green hoodie down over top of his sweater, and Jazz hoped and prayed he didn't try that at school.

"Apples to apples. But, the maple trees in the garden hated the salami plants." His sister continued to play along, gasping and giving non-specific, surprised responses.

* * *

Jack and Maddie Fenton came up the stairs at the sound of their children leaving for school. The kids had, apparently, eaten breakfast while they were in the lab, and hurried out.

The two parents, having caught only the fading sounds of the kids' conversation, leaned through the kitchen doorway, to stare at the front door. Then, as if they'd rehearsed, they turned to each other and mouthed ' _Turkey Leg?_ '.

* * *

"And, then, Turkey Leg, an evil kitty, with laser vision, spun _around, and around_. And, the band played ' _I Love You, So Much, Alan Alda_ '," The blue-eyed ghost described, rubbing the sleep from one eye, as his sister pulled him out the door. She hadn't seen either of their parents, that morning, but that was nothing strange. They were probably in the lab.

When they got to Tucker's house, Sam and Ellie were already there. After the veritable battle that was giving the halfas their medicine, ("No dogs in the corn syrup!", "Mermaids don't _need_ medicine!",) they left the hyper little girl to torment their friend, and dragged the grumpier halfa off to school. Literally. They couldn't exactly ride to school with any of their parents, right now. And, Jazz was grounded from using the car, since she was out all Sunday night, with the Trio.

* * *

Valerie, on the other hand, got a ride to school from her wonderful, loving father. "Have a good day, Sweetheart," He smiled, as she kissed him on the cheek.

"I'll try, Daddy. You, too."

"I will," He assured her, kissing her cheek, before pulling off. Valerie waved, then turned around, saw Jazz and Sam dragging Danny towards the school by his arms, and sighed.

 _||Don't be such a downer, Val. A_ _good_ _day doesn't necessarily have to be_ _normal_ _, right? That would be boring.||_ The half-ghost sneezed, freezing a tree solid, and Valerie was suddenly relieved that the schoolyard was nearly deserted. She saw the two girls looking around frantically, and turned around to pretend she hadn't seen. Though, she was secretly looking around, too.

She saw Dash and Kwan on the other side of the schoolyard, apparently taking turns _kicking a tree_ , and Valerie began to wonder if Danny's delusions were catching. But, the two jocks were completely occupied by their own strange game, and seemed completely oblivious to the half-ghost's freezy-sneezes, so Valerie really didn't care what they did. As long as they left her and the Trio out of it.

 _They're probably trying to kick-start their brains,_ She thought, chuckling to herself.

* * *

"Ugh! Dude! Who's idea _was_ this, anyway?" Dash asked, scraping his shoe against the tree-trunk, again, then stopping.

"I told you, man, - Oof," Kwan said, somewhat-defensively, still kicking. "The tree sap's s'posed to, like, leak out onto your shoes, and, like, - Argh, - majorly improve you running, or something. It was on the internet. It's gotta be true. - Agh."

"Can't argue with that. - Ergh, -" Dash shrugged, rejoining his friend.

* * *

The goth and the redhead had their war-faces on, as they quickly ushered the ghost-boy away from the frozen scene. Valerie wasn't too worried, though. It was kinda pretty, actually. And, no one seemed to notice. Besides, anyone who wanted to get to Danny had three _very protective_ ghost-huntresses to go through.

The kids of Casper High wouldn't last twenty seconds.

The bell rang, and the green-eyed girl sighed, again, slinging her bag over one shoulder and heading inside. She hoped her total and complete exhaustion didn't show as badly as it felt. She'd had to sneak out _six times_ the night before, to fight ghosts. And, three of those times it was Box Ghost. She'd lost count of how many she'd fought after school, the day before, but knew that Boxy was one of them.

 _||Seriously! How is he getting out!? Is there a leak in this thing, somewhere?||_ She tapped the glass cover of her watch with a nail, and sighed to her reflection in it.

 _||At least Danny has backup. I'm on my own, here,||_ She thought, almost bitterly. She paused, suddenly. She could've sworn she'd just heard someone shout 'BEWARE', but she didn't see the box-obsessed creep. So, she kept moving, silently fuming at the little box-demon.

 _||I wish I could just destroy that annoying, little..._ _ **No**.||_

She'd already made her decision, and she was sticking to it. Human or ghost, a creature was a creature. (At least, unless and until someone proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that ghosts couldn't feel anything, like the Fentons claimed.) She was just relieved that she'd never actually destroyed any of the ghosts she'd fought. Especially Phantom. (Though she'd tried hard enough, Danny had always captured them and escaped, before she could.) So, until further notice, the Red Huntress was not destroying _anyone_.

Unless they tried to take over the world, or kill someone else. Then she might make an exception.

 _||Maybe it'll be easier when Danny's over this freaky ghost-cold,||_ She thought, shutting her locker door, and heading for class. She paused, when she thought she heard someone shouting from down the hall, but it stopped when the bell rung. She shrugged.

 _||It's probably just Dash causing trouble, again. But, that's okay. I'll handle_ _him_ _, later,||_ She grinned, maliciously, at the thought. She didn't mind another detention. The ghost-boy could use all the extra protection he could get, and the bully could use the lesson.

* * *

On the other side of the school, Dash and Kwan sat, playing paper football, waiting, bored, for the bell to ring. They didn't want to look like sissies, but, after yesterday, the entire A-list had decided to be more careful around Valerie and the Trio, for a while. At least, until they could figure out a way to bully Fen-tiny, without, y'know, dying.

Or, getting caught. Dash didn't think he would ever recover from the night before, after Gray made him call his parents. His mom had, actually, _cried_. And, though he would never admit it to his friends, the big junior was a mama's-boy, through and through. He'd promised her he'd be good, and he didn't intend to let her find out otherwise.

The two jocks, along with everyone else in the room, perked up when someone screamed, out in the hall, just as the bell rang.

"ALMONDS!"

Dash could've sworn it was Fentoad. "Almonds?" He and Kwan mouthed at each other.

Dash shivered. "Dude, are you _cold_? It's, like, sixty-eight degrees in here," Kwan said, incredulously.

"No, man. I just..."

"...Just what?"

"I just, like, had a _vision_ , or something," He answered, as if he could hardly believe it, himself.

"...Bro, I, like, know we live in a haunted town, and all. But, did Fenton's guard-chicks crack your skull, yesterday?"

"No, man. I just saw this, like, really creepy grin..." He shivered again. "And, it kinda looked like Gray's..."

* * *

"Danny!" Sam and Jazz shouted, trying to pry the blue-eyed boy off the water fountain, which someone had spilled their trail-mix in.

"No!" The little ghost shouted, for the third time, hugging closer to the fountain, and pressing the button on the front, causing water to pour out of it. They pulled harder. They did _not_ need him freezing his hair solid. Even if no one saw it happen, ice-Blue would be _way_ too close to white.

"Let go!" Sam growled, through gritted teeth.

"No! Maple barn traded the tortoise for apple seeds!" The girls paused, blinking at him, and the boy relaxed slightly. Then, they yanked full-force, and Danny was ripped away from the hunk of metal. "ALMONDS!" He cried, as the bell rang.

* * *

Danny allowed himself to be dragged down the hall by Froggy and Turkey Leg, trying to ignore the strange looks from the creatures that cluttered the area around them. He looked around, and spotted a tiny, silver planet, resting off to the side. It's inhabitants seemed to be at war with one another. He could hear the tiny, talking almonds crying out for help, but couldn't understand why no one went to their aid.

As he was dragged past, he grabbed hold of the tiny planet. The two large creatures who had been caring for him since he arrived in this strange, cruel place called to him, but he ignored them. He tried to assure the little, talking nuts and seeds that he would help them fix this mess, and resolve their differences. His heart broke at their screams, as they fought the ocean that threatened to drown them.

As he got closer, he realized that the flooding was from all the rain. It fell in streams on this planet, like it was running from a faucet. The same rain that had hit him the day before, when he'd first seen Red Ducky.

He tried to push the little creatures back to land, but his so-called 'friends' tried to pull him away. "Let go!" Froggy demanded. How heartless could they be? Couldn't they see that these creatures were suffering, and needed help? He tried to reason with them.

"Please! The little creatures _need_ me! How will they settle their disputes without a professional diplomat?" For a moment, he thought he'd gotten through to them. But, alas, his pleas had fallen on deaf ears. "ALMONDS!" He cried, as he was dragged away. The loud noise he'd heard several times the day before nearly drowned out his screams.

Turkey Leg and Froggy dragged him away, their arms locked under his, and he watched in horror as many of the tiny creatures on the silver planet succumbed to the depths and withered away.

* * *

 **AN: No, I don't know what's wrong with me, either...**

 **Hey, everybody! :)**

 **I know this is my third day posting in a row, but I thought I'd do a special update for my AWESOME little brother's birthday! He was** ** _so close_** **to being a Christmas baby :) I call him 'My Late Christmas Present'. He hates it, lol XD**

 **Anywho, I know this is the worst day of the year for most people, with Christmas being over, but I consider it a special day. Plus, there's this chapter I want posted for New Year's, and this lines it up, perfectly ;)**

 **So, here ya go! Extra-odd chapter, courtesy of my extra-awesome bro :))**

 **And, Bear: I still can't reply, but thank you, so, so much! :))))) And, a wonderful, incredible Christmas to you, too! *Heart emoji* :)**

 **As always,  
God bless, and I hope you enjoyed! :)  
\- Ellie**


	17. 16: And, The Horse Will Buck

**Chapter 16:**  
 **"And, The Horse _Will_ Buck"**

* * *

Five minutes later, Sam was trying to keep Danny semi-quiet, as he continued to sob over the water fountain incident, in the middle of homeroom. Thankfully, Mr. Lancer didn't seem to notice. Either that, or he had chosen to ignore it as the usual Fenton brand of strangeness. Sam was just glad Danny seemed to have forgotten his powers, because she could barely hold him back, as it was.

Finally, the boy released a loud, heart-wrenching whimper, turning to her with huge, pleading, blue eyes. He looked and sounded, for all the world, like a wounded puppy.

The goth girl caved.

* * *

Valerie wasn't sure what kind of cold Danny had, but she was pretty sure it was making him bipolar. Not fifteen minutes ago, when she'd seen Sam and Jazz dragging him into the school, he'd seemed perfectly content. (Aside from the paranormal sneezing.) But, now, he was bawling his eyes out.

 ***Thunk***

Suddenly, Sam's head hit her desk, before she grabbed her blue-eyed friend's wrist and pulled him out into the hallway, completely ignoring Mr. Lancer's protests. Two minutes later, Danny pulled _Sam_ back in, by her wrist, happy as a lark, seeming to have forgotten the entire thing.

 _||Is he_ _floating?_ She thought, incredulously, hoping no one else noticed. The ghost-boy let go of Sam, and the two of them took their seats, near the back of the room.

 ***Thunk***

Danny's head hit his own desk, loudly, as he, literally, _fell_ asleep. It was so sudden, Valerie almost burst out laughing. She tried to meet Sam's eyes, but the goth was too busy face-palming to notice.

* * *

Vlad stood in his secret laboratory, holding the key to his newest plan. It was finally complete. Of course, with Daniel in such an annoying state, he'd had to steal the necessary parts, himself. It had taken all the fun out of trying to trick the boy, and it had taken far longer than expected. But, Vlad was certain it would all be worth it.

"I'm coming for you, Little Badger," He smirked, to himself. He let out a maniacal cackle, and Skulker, standing on the other end of the room, started to edge himself toward the ghost portal. Just in case. "Skulker!" Plasmius screeched, a frighteningly insane-sounding edge to his voice. The mechanical ghost froze. "Go and fetch young Daniel for me."

The unstable half-ghost grinned, vampirically. Skulker fought back a shiver and flew off, putting as much distance between them as he could.

* * *

Things had been going fairly smoothly, so far. Danny had slept through homeroom, _and_ through Sam and Valerie half-dragging/half-carrying him to math class. Sam had tried to turn down the Huntress' help. But, since they had math together, and she was really too tired to pull even a short, underweight half-ghost very far, she had reluctantly accepted. Now, Danny was asleep on his desk, and Sam was trying not to fall asleep on hers. (She had slept hard the night before, but the past few days had taken a bigger toll on her than she wanted to admit.) She couldn't let herself sleep, though. She had a _bad_ feeling. She didn't know what it was, but it was definitely there.

Part of it, she knew, was Valerie stealing glances at them, when she thought Sam didn't notice. But, that wasn't all. There was something _else_.

 _||Maybe the fact that ghost-fighting's made you paranoid. Or, maybe because you live in a haunted town and fight ghosts, and you have_ _good reason_ _to be paranoid,||_ She thought to herself.

As the teacher droned on, she rested her head on her arms. She wasn't going to sleep. She was just resting her eyes, that's all. Keeping her ears peeled, and her mind alert, for any danger. Couldn't be alert if you were barely conscious. Definitely not sleeping, though.

* * *

Ten minutes into class, Valerie sat back, watching the two present members of the Trio drool on their desks. She could've slept, herself. She'd been up the better part of the night catching ghosts, again. (And, the next ecto-freak who caused any trouble would _definitely_ regret it.) But, for now, she would stand guard, while Sam slept. Besides, she had a _bad feeling_. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she knew it was _big_.

* * *

"'Find me a blowtorch, Skulker', 'Fetch the Ghost-Boy, Skulker', 'Don't talk with your mouth full, Skulker'," The mechanical ghost grumbled, flying towards Casper High. Of course, he would never talk like that in front of Vlad, (the half-ghost was far too strong to annoy for no good reason,) but pretending to stand up to him made him feel better. That, and kicking the other half-ghost's skinny rear-end.

"Ah. There we are," He said to himself, reaching the school, and spotting Phantom asleep in class, through one of the windows. "Oh, I'll get the little Whelp," He grinned, pressing a few buttons on his suit's wrist.

* * *

 ***Beep-Beep-Beep***

Valerie's watch went off, alerting her to a ghost, nearby. She looked out the window to find Skulker floating outside, but, before she could even raise her hand to leave the room, he _fired on the school_.

 ***Boom***

The entire building shook, the students and faculty screamed, and a huge chunk of the wall fell away, landing outside. Valerie and Sam were on their feet in milliseconds. Sam still barely-conscious. (Not that either of the girls couldn't fight ghosts in their sleep, at this point) Most of the others were either clinging to their desks, or finding themselves on the floor. Valerie made her way to Danny, and found him still asleep, though she couldn't understand how.

The robotic ghost with the flaming, green mohawk swooped in through the hole he'd made in the wall. The dust and smoke was obscuring the vision of nearly everyone in the room. Valerie nearly took Skulker's head off with one good kick, while Sam took his feet out from under him. The girls blasted him back towards to white board, with their wrist-rays.

Most of the others in the room missed their feats of fighting-ability, though, (and many missed the ghost, entirely,) as they couldn't see more than a foot in front of them. Several fell on their faces, over desks and chairs, (or over other students, trying to hide under their desks and chairs,) in their attempts to run away. No one got very far. The screaming remained continuous, though, whether it was from fear, confusion, or anger.

 ***Achoo***

Then, everything was quiet.

The dust settled, and the smoke cleared. When the math class could finally see, they found, at the front of the room, an ice sculpture that looked an awful lot like Skulker. The white board and floor around him was covered in crystalline snowflake patterns. It probably would've been beautiful, if they hadn't all just been traumatized. Mrs. Hamilton was just glad she'd been at her desk, getting a granola bar, rather than standing where the frozen ghost now was.

There was a lot of talking and whispering about what had happened, and Sam and Valerie were relieved when no one said anything about Danny. But, the tension was still there.

Sam knew what the Huntress had seen. Valerie could see it in her eyes.

* * *

Math was moved to the outdoor picnic tables, for the remainder of the day. (Well, except the picnic table that got crushed by the falling piece of wall.) Thankfully, though, the rest of first period math was canceled. There was only fifteen minutes left, anyway. The teachers were just relieved no one had been hurt. Save for a few bumps and bruises caused by their panic, but it was nowhere _near_ as bad as the casualties caused by the Juniors' Dodgeball War, the day before.

They were standing around the classroom, debating what to do with the frozen ghost. (None of them much cared for - or trusted - the Guys In White, ever since they shot some kind of ghost-missile into the school, the week before, completely disregarding the safety of the students and faculty.) Then, the ice around Skulker suddenly shattered, erupting into a puff of snow, emitting a faint tinkling sound, like wind-chimes, as it fell. The robot-ghost stood there, staring, blankly, for several moments. The teachers were about to start screaming, when the ghost looked at something behind them and paled, (if metal even _can_ pale,) and screamed for them.

The ghost shot out the hole he had made in the wall, before the snow around him had completely settled, stirring the cloud up around the adults in the room. The fluffy white flakes melted mid-air, essentially raining on the teachers' parade. They turned to see what had frightened the creature so badly, but all they saw was an empty hallway.

* * *

Sam led Danny towards the library, grabbing the boy's sister, and, spotting Valerie out one of the windows, dragging them both towards the school doors.

As they walked past the partially-demolished math classroom, Danny stopped, pulling the three of them to a halt. The two girls turned to see the halfa, along with most of the faculty, staring at the now-unfrozen Skulker. Sam glared at the ghost, and he paled. She hadn't even know his robotic suit _could_ pale. Then, Danny sniffled, and the hunter flew off, screaming.

 _||The big baby,||_ Sam nearly snorted, before tugging the practically-sleepwalking ghost-boy and his sister further down the hall.

* * *

Valerie leaned back against a tree, outside of the school. She needed some fresh air. And, why waste a fifteen-minute break inside, when it was such a beautiful day?

A black, steel-toed, combat boot hit the ground next to her. She looked up to find Sam Manson and Jazz Fenton glaring at her, like mother bears. Danny stood behind them, gazing up at the tree, as if it were made of magic.

"We need to talk."

* * *

"I know what I saw."

"Dude, do you have any idea how crazy that sounds?"

"I _know_ what I saw."

"Mike, Danny's parents are _ghost-hunters_. They're at, like, _every_ ghost-fight. Don't you think they would've noticed?"

Mikey snorted. "Have you ever _met_ Jack Fenton? If he caught fire, someone would have to bring it to his attention."

"Heeeee's got a point," Clark dragged out. Mikey had called for an emergency meeting, in between classes. As a result of the ghost attack in math, he'd had nearly fifteen minutes to think about what had just happened, before his friends got there.

"I don't buy it," Lester folded his arms.

"Then, help me," His friends looked at each other, then back to him, confused. "Help me gather more information. You can either prove me wrong, or I can prove I'm right."

"...Fine," Les said. "The whole incident merits further investigation, anyhow. I mean, I know ghosts are weird, and don't exactly follow the rules of physics -"

Clark snorted. "Or, _any_ rules, for that matter."

"- but, _spontaneous freezing_?"

* * *

 **AN: Maybe they know something. Maybe they don't. I'm still not telling. ;)**

 **Hey, everybody! :)**

 **If the chapter title sounds familiar, (though, I doubt it does to anyone but me,) it's because it's from the beginning of Chapter 5. And, yes, I fully intended it to be an eventual chapter title, the moment I wrote it, because I'm just that weird. :))**

 **Bear: Thank you, so much! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! :) My Christmas was wonderful, and I hope yours was, too! :) Thank you, again :)))**

 **As always,  
God bless, I hope you enjoyed, and see ya next year! ;)  
\- Ellie**


	18. 17: Sock It To 'Em

**Chapter 17:**  
 **Sock It To 'Em**

* * *

Nobody really knew what happened. Of course, there were rumors. But, all anyone really knew for certain was that Manson and Gray marched into P.E. together, tugging the Fenton Shrinky Dink along behind them, all three looking like they'd just come from a war zone. (Which, in Amity Park, was completely possible.)

And, they looked _proud_ of it. - Well, the girls did. Fenton looked a little dazed. The klutz had probably tripped over his own feet and gotten a concussion.

* * *

"FENTON! MANSON! GRAY! WOULD YOU LADIES CARE TO EXPLAIN TO ME WHY YOU LOOK LIKE YOU JUST TRIED TO RIP EACH OTHERS' FACES OFF!?" Their teacher shouted, angrily.

"Minnesota- mrhphld arghtom" Danny mumbled, as Sam shoved a hand over his mouth.

"We just..." Sam started slowly, glancing at the Huntress. She still didn't trust her, completely. But, she was a reasonable person. And, considering the girl had just gone through an existential crises, and all, she could give her a chance. (And, a black eye, if necessary.) "...found an effective way to settle our differences," She finished, smirking.

"WELL!" Ms. Tetslaff looked at them a moment, then she grinned. "GOOD TO SEE _SOMEONE_ AROUND HERE HAS A LITTLE BACKBONE!" She slapped Danny on the back, knocking him forward and causing him to squeak like a rubber duck. The big lady walked to the center of the gym, to address her students.

Truth was, the two female ghost-hunters had been trying to _kill_ each other, when Jazz stepped in to stop them. The redhead got dragged into the middle of it, then the ghost-boy. Then, Danny had transformed, while shouting something about the 'Banana Kingdom', which only made Sam _more_ defensive. (Since there could no longer be any doubt that Valerie knew, not just _what_ Danny was, but _who_.) The Huntress had spilled that she'd already known. For _two months_. And, Sam started trying to interrogate her on what she planned to do with that information. Then, their combined fury had been turned on The Box Ghost, when _he_ suddenly appeared. (Again.)

This went on for a while, until, somewhere in all of it, they'd reached some kind of an unsteady truce.

They weren't _besties_ , or anything. But, they weren't going out of their way to attack each other, either. Which, according to the somehow-spotless Jazz, was 'real progress'.

Of course, her saying that had only made the two younger girls want to attack _her_. But, she had remained blissfully oblivious to their death-glares, as she used a wet wipe to try and get some of the dirt off her brother's face.

Sam got the feeling Jazz was enjoying this...

"ALRIGHT, CUPCAKES!" Tetslaff shouted, gaining everyone's attention, as Sam and Valerie helped the delusional half-ghost up off the floor. "AFTER YESTERDAY'S _GLORIOUS_ DEBACLE," She said, somewhat-dreamily. "WE'VE BEEN ORDERED TO TAKE IT DOWN A NOTCH. SO, TODAY'S GAME WILL BE-" The students leaned forward on their toes, biting their nails and trembling at the thought of what might come. No one really trusted the P.E. teacher's idea of 'taking it down a notch'. "-FREEZE-TAG!"

Well, that wasn't so bad. Right?

* * *

The fifty-one Juniors were divided into two teams, one wearing red and the other wearing white (the school colors). Somehow, Danny ended up on the white team. _Dash's_ team. While Sam and Valerie were on the red team.

Of course, they couldn't just play _normal_ freeze-tag. With Tetslaff's rules in place, it was more like freeze-military.

The teacher/coach went over the rules, just to be clear. Everyone wore a beanie in their team's color. Removing your beanie was an automatic out. (Several students were _very_ unhappy with this.) Being tagged by a member of the other team, or having your beanie stolen by anyone, froze you. Being tagged by a member of _your_ team _un_ froze you, but only if you were still wearing your beanie. If you didn't have your beanie on, your teammates had to get it back and put it on your head, to unfreeze you. You could only freeze someone by tagging them with your hands, or stealing their beanie. Brushing against someone or kicking them didn't count.

One thing you could be certain of: In a town where ghost-drills and ghost-attacks were a part of everyday life, even a simple game of tag was going to be interesting.

Too many survival instincts going off at one time.

* * *

Chris Tory dove at Valerie, and she jumped, diving over him. The jock lost his balance, nearly face-planting on the gym floor. The Huntress landed, catlike, behind him. She waited for him to look at her, before poking him on the shoulder, smugly.

"Tag," She grinned.

She looked over at Danny. The half-ghost clearly had no idea what was happening, but, to Valerie and Sam's amazement, actually followed the rules...

Even though he had no idea what those rules were...

Or that this was a game, and not an interstellar war...

...That much they had picked up from his mumbling.

"Crowbar in the cobbler!" The halfa ducked away from Dash, who dived for him, missed, looked up, saw Valerie glaring, and ran in the other direction. Right into a smirking Sam.

Paulina tried to sneak up on the Huntress, but the ex-A-Lister tripped her, and she fell towards Danny. "Apple cider vinegar!" The blue-eyed ghost shouted, putting his hands on the popular girl's shoulders, and turning an impressive flip over her.

At least, it _would_ have been impressive, if he hadn't tripped on the landing. Both he and the mean girl fell on their faces.

"SANCHEZ! YOU'RE FROZEN! NO MOVING!" Tetslaff shouted, when the shallow girl tried to get up.

" **What!?** " She screeched, before turning to Danny, who was being helped up by Valerie. "You're _dead_ , Fenton."

"Duh," Valerie smirked. The ghost-boy turned to her, and she winked at him.

"Turkey Leg ate my socks."

Sam froze Clay Martin, Jason, and Star, tripping the first, and leaving the last standing on one foot. She jumped over Manny Whitmire, turning a back-handspring off the top of his head, and landing near Danny and Valerie, Manny's beanie in her hand. "Jazz _ate_ his _socks_?" The Huntress wondered, incredulously, turning to the goth girl.

" **I DIDN'T EAT HIS SOCKS!** " Someone shouted through the gym door.

"Huh?" Ms. Tetslaff jumped, as she and several others turned towards the sound. With an 'eep', the redhead peeking through the door's tiny window ducked away.

* * *

Tucker had come to a conclusion. It wasn't a brilliant conclusion. It wasn't going to change the world. It wasn't even going to help _him_ all that much. And, frankly, it was, really, pretty obvious.

 _||Sleepy Ellie: Good. Hyper Ellie: Bad.||_ The techno-geek laid across the couch, on his stomach. One cushion was sitting lopsided on his back, where Ellie had 'trapped the mummy back in his sarcophagus'. Thankfully, the girl's evil streak, from the day before, had gone as mysteriously as it had appeared. She was still claiming to be a princess, (now 'Princess of Monster-Hunting',) but at least she wasn't the dictator-y kind of princess, anymore. Tucker looked up at her, as she jumped up and down to a song playing on a kiddie show. He was pretty sure she was too old for it, but he wasn't about to turn anything away that could keep her attention for more that a few seconds.

 ***Ding***

His phone signaled that he had a text, and he reached to get it. "What was that?" Ellie turned to him, surprised. Somehow, she had gotten into his mother's makeup, mixing it with the play-makeup she'd brought with her, (though he still hadn't figured out where she was keeping this stuff,) and it was smeared all over her face, haphazardly. The mascara and day-glow, orange play-lipstick she'd used as eyeshadow only made her eyes look wider. His mom was gonna kill him.

"It's just my phone," He said. "It's probably Sam texting more funny stories," He grinned.

"Funny stories?" She tipped her head to one side.

"Oh, yeah. You were asleep when she texted, yesterday, weren't you?" He told the girl about Danny's antics the day before. By the time he'd finished, she was just a little wad of giggles, in the floor.

"So, what did Danny do, today?" She asked, gasping through her laughter. The techno-geek pulled up his text messages, opening the thread from his goth friend. He stared at his screen, mouth hanging open, as he read the message, over and over. Sam's newest text had only two words.

 _ **Sam: Valerie knows**_

"Well? What did she say? Is it funny?" The little girl asked, peeking at him around the device in his hands.

Tucker couldn't answer.

* * *

Jack Fenton loaded another box of 'lethal' - If you really could be lethal with ghosts - ecto-weaponry into the lab's armored storage room. He and his wife had talked the night before and decided that, if ghosts really were sentient, destroying them was the same as killing them. And, even though they weren't sure there were any sentient ghosts, besides their son, they weren't going to risk anything until they knew for certain.

For what was possibly the first time in his life, Jack was _glad_ that nothing had ever come of any of his and his wife's captures. The one time they'd managed to test any of their 'lethal' weaponry out on a ghost, it had been the _Ecto-Dejecto_. And, that stuff had backfired and made the ghosts stronger.

It was with this in mind that Jack turned and realized his wife wasn't behind him. Every load before this, they'd bumped into each other, because he was too big to fit through the doorway at the same time as anyone else, and she was too lost in thought to dodge him. He walked back out into the lab, then up the stairs, finally finding her in the kitchen.

"OOOH! WHATCHA MAKIN', MADS?" For some reason, it hadn't yet registered with the big man that his wife's cooking could be more lethal than any weapon.

At times, it could be a weapon, in and of itself.

"..."

"...MADS?" He prodded, as she continued to stare into the pot on the stove.

"...I'm making chicken soup for the sick ectopus in the lab..." She said, sheepishly, finally looking up at him.

"..."

"Don't look at me that way! You're the one who made me feel bad for it!"

* * *

 **AN: Happy New Year's Eve, everybody! :))**

 **Not my greatest work. I know. I couldn't think of much for Sam and Valerie's conversation that would have the outcome I wanted. :( And, yes, I really went there with the title. I couldn't come up with a better one. *Sigh* But, now, Valerie and the Fenton parents get a new start for the New Year :) Yay!**

 **P.S. I do not own Shrinky Dinks. But, I do love them. :)**

 **As always,  
God bless, and I hope you enjoyed! :)  
\- Ellie**


	19. 18: Close Encounters Of The Nerd Kind

**Chapter 18:**  
 **Close Encounters Of The Nerd Kind**

* * *

After being assured, repeatedly, that he did _not_ need to come to school, and that she and Jazz could handle things there, Tucker _finally_ let Sam off the line. The goth girl had practically _dived_ into the girls' restroom, to hide the fact that she was using her phone during school hours. (Paulina might be able to get away with it, but she, definitely, couldn't.) Had it not been partially her fault for sending the boy into such a panic, and over such a serious subject, she would've been mad at him.

She hurried out into the hall, where she found the halfa still clinging to his sister, who was petting his head and trying to calm him down. Apparently, Paulina had gotten explicit in some of her frozen-to-the-floor threats. And, Danny, apparently, spoke Spanish, now.

Sam hadn't been able to hear over the sound of several football players crying on the floor, at her and Valerie's mercy, (or lack thereof,) but Jazz had given them the basics, before the Huntress's watch had beeped. Valerie had groaned in annoyance, and run off. Probably to handle Boxy, again.

 _||Oh, well. Looks like I'm gonna get another detention,||_ Sam thought, not all that disappointed. Paulina would be getting a new bruise.

 _||Or, maybe she'll lose a tooth, this time. Might as well mix things up,||_ The vegan girl smirked to herself.

The bell rung for class, and poor Danny jumped about three feet. After the five minutes it took to coax him out of the locker he'd jumped into, intangibly, he clung to Sam's arm, as she walked him towards their next class, while Jazz hurried back to the library.

Sam sighed. They had Jonesie, next.

Joy.

* * *

"Alright, you despicable rapscallions," He began.

 _||Oh, great. He's in a good mood,||_ Most of the kids thought, as their grumpiest (and possibly craziest) teacher started in on why the painting everyone calls the _Mona Lisa_ isn't really the _Mona Lisa_.

It would have been an interesting topic, if Jonesie didn't lose every ounce of showmanship in his body, the moment he walked into a classroom. Everyone stared, pleadingly, at Danny, who had proved, on multiple occasions, to be the only one capable of bringing the interesting side of Jonesie to the surface, outside of drama class. But, the blue-eyed boy was sound asleep, again.

He was soon followed by several others, as the teacher droned on, beratingly.

* * *

Sam bit back a groan. She was finally wide-awake, and it _had_ to be during one of the most boring classes of the day.

Her stomach growled, slightly, and she fought down the blush she felt trying to creep across her face, as a few kids around her snickered. She'd missed breakfast, trying to sneak Ellie out, without her parents knowing. Then, she'd missed her second chance at a morning meal trying to get Ellie to eat hers, after they got to Tucker's. Lunch was in ten minutes, but that ten minutes was taking forever. Plus, lunch was way too short, and, _then_ , they had the other most-boring class: English with Lancer.

Sam was actually starting to wish Boxy would show up, just so everyone would panic, and she could head to the cafeteria early. But, nothing happened.

 _||Of all the times for the ghosts to be quiet,||_ She looked over and found the Huntress sleeping even harder than Danny. Only, Danny wasn't asleep anymore. He'd been out like a light just a moment before, but, now, he was staring out the window with such intensity it could've broken the glass.

(Then again, he did have ectoplasmic laser-vision. So that was, technically, possible.) Sam was just beginning to wonder what kind of delusion the boy was seeing, this time, when the window actually _did_ break.

 ***Crash***

 ***Beep-Beep-Beep***

In the span of about three seconds, the window shattered, Valerie's watch went off, both girls were on their feet, several students began panicking, Skulker swooped in, nearly everyone ran from the room, and the mechanical ghost grabbed the blue-eyed half-ghost by the collar, brandishing a very nasty-looking gun against the boy's forehead.

"Hah! I've finally got you!" He gloated. Danny just stared at him, in that same, eerie way he had stared at Jazz, the night before. "What are you staring at!?" The boy said nothing, but began raising one hand, slowly. "I asked you wh-" He stopped, as the boy poked his nose. "What are you doing?" The mechanical ghost deadpanned. The boy looked him dead in the eyes, and, for a moment, Skulker began to question this particular venture.

"Turkey Leg ate my socks." Danny's features suddenly turned as innocent as a toddler's.

"Wha-"

" **I DID** ** _NOT_** **EAT YOUR SOCKS!** " Someone cried, from outside the door. Apparently, Jazz had come to check in on Danny, again. Skulker turned towards the voice.

And, got blasted by Danny, tackled by two _very_ protective ghost-hunters, then sucked into the Fenton Thermos by Jazz, leaving his mechanical suit behind.

* * *

The 'Geek Squad', as they were so affectionately known, met at Lester's locker, in between classes. The taller redhead had insisted that this was a discussion they couldn't hold in the cafeteria.

"So, what's up?" Clark asked, impatiently. He'd missed breakfast, that morning, and he was hungry.

Lester continued staring at his feet, his expression far too serious. "You know that thing you saw, yesterday?" Mikey nodded, and Lester raised his head, to meet his best friend's eyes. "I think I believe you, now."

* * *

Valerie walked towards her ex-enemy's table, carrying her lunch tray. "Um." They looked at her, and she suddenly found her shoes incredibly interesting. "Mind if sit down?"

Sam and Jazz still looked a little suspicious, and she didn't blame them in the least. But, thankfully, Delusional Danny was very good at breaking up tension.

"Turtle Tank!"

She looked up at him, confused. " _Turtle Tank_?"

"The corduroy banjos stole some lint, and the Big, Bad Booger-Bot ate a light switch and played hopscotch with the monkeys!" He said, completely serious.

She looked at the other two girls. "Just go with it," Jazz said. Valerie turned back to the ghost-boy.

 _||Is that a macaroni noodle coming out his nose?||_ She shook that thought off. She was probably better of not knowing.

"Umm... Cool," She told him, finally. The boy beamed, proudly, before turning to Jazz for more macaroni.

 _||Well. That explains that. Sort of.||_

"So... He's still kinda..."

"Delusional? Yeah," Jazz shrugged, then grunted as Danny refused to release the spoon in his mouth. She pulled, but he just whined at her, so she let go, sighing. The boy sniffled.

"Cockroaches on the diving board," He said, around the spoon.

"And, he's..."

"Still sick," Jazz answered, again.

"Does he need to, like, -"

The boy pulled the spoon out of his mouth, looked at it as though it were an alien device, then shoved it into his sister's face, whimpering pitifully. "Combine driver in the haystack."

"- go to the hospital, or something?" Valerie finished, staring, as the ghost-boy pleaded for his sister to feed him some of her carrots, then refused them when she tried.

"Nope," Sam said, simply. The boy finally accepted the spoonful, when his sister mixed the carrots with some corn.

"...Are you sure?" The Huntress asked, uncertainly.

"Yep," Sam said. Apparently, their truce didn't span more than one-word sentences, yet.

"Ghost cold," Jazz clarified, quietly, looking Valerie in the eyes as she wiped the drool from her brother's mouth. The boy grinned at his sister, happily.

"Is it contagious?" Valerie asked, leaning back a bit, unconsciously.

"Maybe," Sam grinned, wickedly. Jazz thunked her on the head with a spoon. "Ow!"

"Not to humans," Jazz assured. The goth girl glared at her, for a moment.

"The cougars ate chocolate, to save the lives of the Albanian cricket-launchers."

 _||What have I gotten myself into?||_

* * *

Star looked across the cafeteria.

 _||Why is Valerie sitting with Morbid Manson and the Freaky Fentons? (Ooh! That would be a great band name!) ...And, where's Full-Of-Himself Foley?||_

She leaned over, whispering to Paulina, "I thought Valerie and Sam hated each other." The snobby girl turned towards the table of outcasts, and grinned, shark-like.

"Oooh. This could get interesting," She purred, evilly. The Latina snapped her fingers, getting the attention of the other A-Listers, before pointing to the four losers on the other side of the room. "We'll need to keep an eye on this. It could be our chance for a little payback."

Several others at the table nodded, though many of the football players were trembling on the inside. They did _not_ want to mess with Manson and Gray, again.

 _||I still haven't recovered from this morning,||_ Kwan thought, watching Sam smirk at Valerie, before Jazz hit her with a spoon. Did that librarian not know who she was messing with?

* * *

 **AN: Happy New Year's, everybody! :) I hope 2018 brings you nothing but blessings and joy! :))**

 **Take a guess on the Geek Squad! (The name of which I do not own.** ** _Best Buy_** **does.) I dare you! ;)**

 **Yep, Jonesie's back. And, the thing about the** ** _Mona Lisa_** **? It's true. Google it. :) (Also, I do not own** ** _Google_** **. I** ** _do_** **, however, own a large enough brain to know when the disclaimers have crossed the border into Ridiculous, with a capital 'R'.)**

 **And, I know this one was absolutely terrible, but I'll, hopefully, make up for it with the next chapter. :)**

 **Bear: Thank you, so, so much! I'm so glad you like it!**

 **Now, back to my new-found obsession with Project Mirai DX (which I do not own).**

 **As always,  
God bless, Happy New Year, and I hope you enjoyed! :)  
\- Ellie**

* * *

 **Edit: My awesome friend, InsomniacWhoOverslept92 has created another masterpiece, which was inspired by this chapter! So, you guys seriously** ** _need_** **to go check it out! It's AMAZING! You can find it on DeviantArt under:**

 **art/Delusional-Yeah-742409380**

 **Just go to the site, add that to the end of the address bar, and the link should, hopefully, work :)) If not, got to the site and search for aspectofdesign.**

 **Again,  
God bless, and I hope you enjoyed! :)  
\- Ellie**


	20. 19: Nerdily Spies

**Chapter 19:**  
 **Nerdily Spies**

* * *

 **AN: Okay, so, if the first part of this chapter sounds familiar, it's because it's last chapter, from a different POV. I hope my POV changes aren't getting annoying. But, anywho, on with the show! :))**

* * *

Mikey, Clark, and Lester sat at their table, right next to where the Trio usually ate. Of course, it wasn't the 'Trio', today. There were four of them, and two were the wrong ones. Just as the three geeks had become known as 'The Geek Squad', Foley, Manson, and the youngest Fenton were know as 'The Trio'. When both Fenton kids were in the group, they were the 'Nerd Herd'. (That title being Dash's brilliant idea. But, it had stuck, nonetheless.)

After the last couple days, the Geek Squad had been debating (arguing) about whether Gray, an ex-A-Lister, was joining the Herd, or just visiting. The jury was still out, though it was looking a lot like the anger-management-impaired girl might become a permanent Herd-member.

The three geeks were currently trying, desperately, to listen in on the other table's conversation, but could only make out a few words, here and there. 'Mind' was one of them. Then, Danny said something about tanks and bots.

"What kind of bots do you think they mean? And, why would they need a tank?" Lester whispered. He and Mikey sat with their backs to the Herd's table, so they could listen in better. Clark sat on the other side, so he could watch the four teens, without drawing too much attention, though he couldn't hear nearly as well as his friends. And, it was one of the first times he'd ever found himself looking at the Fenton sister with anything but fluffy-cloud and fluttery-heart emotions. Even after they'd started their investigation, he hadn't been able to bring himself to believe she was in on any of it. But, looking at her now, all he felt was confusion.

Mikey fidgeted, obviously fighting the urge to turn around. "I dunno- 'Delusional'. I heard 'delusional'."

"And, Gray said 'mind'. Some kind of gas that effects the brain, do you think?" Lester suggested.

"Wait. Did he just say 'cockroaches'?" Clark asked.

"And, 'sick'. I definitely heard 'sick'," Les said.

"I think Jazz said ' _still_ sick," Mikey added. "And, Danny said 'combine', I think."

"Combine? What do you combine with tanks, cockroaches, and brains?" Clark asked. He sounded incredulous, but his friends knew he was just wrestling with the puzzle in his head.

Lester snorted, slightly. "A camera? Sounds like all the ingredients for a superhero action figure commercial." His serious demeanor returned, as quickly as it had disappeared. "Anything else?"

"I've heard 'cool' and 'cold'. An illness of some kind?" Mikey replied.

"Maybe. I thought I heard the Huntress say 'hospital'," Lester said, squirming in his seat. He _really_ wanted to turn around, but he knew better. If Gray or Manson, either one, got suspicious of them, it was game over. "What are they doing, Clark?"

"Manson and Gray are eating, but Danny and Jazz are... I don't really know _what_ they're doing." Mikey nearly turned to look, but Lester and Clark grabbed his shirt, stopping him.

"Clarification, please, Reuben," Lester said, almost testily. He wanted to look, too. And, sitting with his back to such dangerous company was incredibly nerve-wracking, now that he knew who they were.

"Well," Clark started. "Danny's acting strangely."

"We _know_. That's what got us started on this, in the first place," Mikey pointed out, snarkily. The other two shushed him.

"And, it's not like 'strange' is really saying anything, when it comes to the Fentons, Clark," Lester pointed out.

"Or, Amity Park, _in general_ ," Mikey added, folding his arms.

"Yeah, but, like, _seriously_ strange. Even for a Fenton," The dark-haired geek insisted.

Lester squinted, glaring at the far wall, since he couldn't glare at the group of conundrums behind him. "'Strange', _how_ , exactly?"

"Like, he keeps whimpering to his sister, and giving her these big, puppy-dog eyes, and pointing to their lunch trays. Then, she picks up the spoon like she's gonna feed him, but he won't let her. After doing that a couple times, he finally lets her feed him, but only when she mixes two different things together, that wouldn't normally be together. Like macaroni and carrots. Then, the cycle starts over."

The other two looked at him, then at each other. "How long has _that_ been going on?" Lester croaked.

"Almost the entire time we've been sitting here."

"I wondered why you didn't seem to have much of an appetite," Mikey stated, pointing to the other geek's nearly-untouched lunch, with his spoon.

They all froze, as Danny spoke, again. "What did he say? What kind of launchers?" Clark asked, perking up. The other two shushed him. They all listened, for another moment.

"Did he say _cricket_ -launchers?" Mikey whispered, his voice squeaking, incredulously.

"That doesn't make any sense," Clark stated, folding his arms. He was so jealous. Why did _he_ have to be the lookout? He'd have rather been able to hear what was going on, than keep watching this freaky, silent movie. The one time he _didn't_ want to be looking at Jazz...

"I think he said... 'critical launchers'," Les said, finally.

"'Critical'? What could be so critical that it needed launching?" Clark asked. The other nerds paled and looked at each other. There was no denying Clark was a genius of the technological and mathematical worlds. He could calculate equations, in his head, that would make a grown man cry, then build an entire website dedicated to the incident, in less than a minute. But, he sometimes had difficulty grasping the obvious.

"I think he means launchers that are only used when the _situation_ is critical," The taller redhead explained, slowly. He watched the dark-haired boy's face, as it sunk in.

"How critical are we talking, here?" The now-pale boy asked.

Mikey answered the question, with another question. "What are the only creatures that can survive a nuclear explosion?"

"Cockroaches," He answered, without thinking, then paled even more. "Oh, no."

* * *

Skulker didn't know what had happened. He had returned to capture the Ghost-Child, for the second time. The halfa obviously had a core cold, and was in a weakened state. He should've been easy prey.

Of course, under normal circumstances, Skulker would never hunt a creature in that sort of condition. There would be no sport in it. But, when Plasmius tells you to do something, you either do it, or regret it for the rest of your afterlife.

Your, suddenly, very _short_ afterlife.

Sure, he'd anticipated the child's little girlfriend would try to protect him, but he hadn't expected the other girl. She seemed familiar, somehow, but he couldn't quite place where he recognized her from.

The tiny, green blob of a ghost huffed and folded his arms, sitting in the ridiculous thermos the Whelp and his friends always carried with them. He was a disgrace.

 _||You call yourself a hunter? You held a sick hauntling in your grip, fell for the child's terrent, and lost him to three little schoolgirls._ _Unbelievable_ _.||_

One of the little ankle-biters had actually _broken_ his suit's auto-pilot mechanism. (He only hoped it would still be able to fly itself back to his lair.) And, now, one of those girls was _lecturing_ him, through the thermos walls. It was _unbearable_.

"...And, you, a grown man - er, ghost - bullying an innocent little child, probably a fraction of your age, _while_ that child was sick..."

 _||How does the Whelp_ _live_ _with this creature?||_ He wondered, incredulously, as the redhead continued to berate him, like a kindergarten teacher. (But, with considerably more psychobabble.)

The mechanical ghost sighed. Plasmius was _not_ going to like this.

* * *

Vlad grinned, evilly, looking out the large, bay window in his office, visualizing his plan's success. Then, the smile dropped, and he began to pace. He'd just finished with a particularly tedious meeting, the attendees of which had come _an hour early_ , arriving to find him in his _bathrobe_. ( _That_ had been an embarrassment.) And, he had now been waiting on Skulker for over _four hours_.

"Honestly, what is so difficult about fetching a child?" The billionaire asked himself, then huffed, annoyed.

The idiotic hunk of metal had probably attempted to _capture_ the boy, instead of simply luring him there. Normally, the mayor would simply go and get the boy, himself. ('If you want something done right', and all.) But, if Daniel's troublesome friends or nosy sister were to become even a slightly suspicious, they would _never_ allow him to come alone. Vlad couldn't risk one of them finding his machine, or talking the boy out of his deal.

The half-ghost huffed, again, feathers fully-ruffled.

Then, he calmed.

Suddenly.

Eerily.

"Ah, well. I can be patient." The man straightened his tie, and a piranha-like grin split his face.

* * *

Still sitting in the Fenton thermos, Skulker suddenly shuddered. He looked around the empty void he was floating in. He was completely alone. Even the annoying redhead had stopped her incessant chastisement/mental-dissection.

 _||Thank the heavens. Her voice had taken on a feeling akin to that of slowly driving_ _needles_ _into my own eyes,||_ He thought.

 _||Seriously!_ _How_ _does the Ghost-Child live with her?||_

But, the redheaded demoness was finally gone. (Though, every once in a while he thought he could hear her _snoring_ near his prison.) He shuddered, again, worse, this time. The little green blob's teeth chattered, painfully, as he looked around, nearing a panic that would be irrational by humans' eyes.

He was alone, and it was finally quiet.

But, ghost instincts were not irrational. They were some of the most reliable in existence. Only supernaturally-sensitive humans and a handful of animal species had instincts that could even compete.

He knew his employer was going to be angry with him. So, why did Skulker get the feeling that Vlad was _smiling_?

* * *

 **AN: Hey, everybody! :)**

 **Okay,** ** _now_** **what do you think about the Geek Squad? :) Have they figured something big out, or do they have it all wrong? Or both? Lemme know your guesses! :)**

 **For anyone who didn't get it, the chapter title was a play on the title of the show** ** _Totally Spies_** **, which I do not own. The only thing I own is an inane sense of humor, which everyone's probably getting tired of, by now. ;)**

 **Bear: Thank you, so, so, so much! (I think I have them memorized, too, lol) Thank you, again! And, Happy New Year! :))**

 **As always,  
God bless, and I hope you enjoyed! :)  
\- Ellie**


	21. 20: Boxed In

**Chapter 20:**  
 **Boxed In**

* * *

"And, so, Mama-Dragon, Bitty-Kitty, and all of Mama-Dragon's little, giant, baby, radioactive dragon-cubs, headed for home. They walked through the Bog of Monstrous Beings, sailed across the Sea of Lettuce, skipped through the Meadows of Peace and Pure Joy, hopped over the lily pads on the River of Poison Tears, strolled across the Fields of Heartfelt Flowers, ran through the Forest of Skeleton-Cats, and went back to their cave, in the Cavern of Awesomeness. Finally, Mama-Dragon tucked each of her seven little ones in, kissing them on their foreheads."

 ***Air-Smooch***

"'Goodnight, Herbert.'"

 ***Air-Smooch***

"'Goodnight, Drusilla.'"

 ***Air-Smooch***

"'Goodnight, Piper.'"

 ***Air-Smooch***

"'Goodnight, May-Lynn.'"

 ***Air-Smooch***

"'Goodnight, Tambry.'"

 ***Air-Smooch***

"'Goodnight, Graham.'"

 ***Air-Smooch***

"'And, goodnight, Bitty-Kitty. You'll always be a dragon, to me.' Mama-Dragon blew out the room's candle, and went back to knitting tiny, little sweaters for her seven tiny, little, treasures. And, they all lived happily, ever after," Tucker finished his off-the-top-of-his-head story, to the now-sleeping, little ghost-girl.

He was pretty sure she'd fallen asleep while Mama-Dragon was rescuing little baby Herbert from Captain Soda-Pants, over the Cliffs of Destitution. But, he'd learned the day before that you do not stop in the middle of the story. Lest ye face the wrath of Ellie. (The kid had bolted up, eyes wide, as though she was spring-loaded. Then, she'd done that creepy staring thing Danny'd been doing, lately.) Tucker had nearly wet his pants.

He waited, watching for any sign that the hyper, little 'princess' -

 _||Yeah. Princess of_ _chaos_ _,||_ He nearly snorted.

\- was really asleep, before sighing in relief. The little girl was lying in the floor, amidst a few toys, (some hers, some Tucker's old ones,) snuggling a glowing, green, _fanged_ teddy bear. Tucker stood, slowly and quietly, and made his way to the kitchen. Then, stood there, staring at the pile of dishes, for a moment.

It was always worse than he remembered.

 _||How does Mom_ _do_ _this, every day?||_ Right then and there, Tucker vowed to try and help his mother out around the house more. He probably would just get in her way, (his mother was an incredibly efficient woman,) but he could, at least, _try_.

He set to work on the dishes that were stacked in the sink, nearly past his head. Ellie had wanted grilled cheese sandwiches. Then, ham and cheese sandwiches. Then, pancakes. Then, fetuccini alfredo. Then, leftover meatloaf. Then, pizza. The girl was a bottomless pit. And, that was coming from _him_.

He had hoped her keeping him busy would, at least, help him stop worrying about his friends. But, every time he looked at Ellie, he thought of Danny. His best friend. His best friend with super powers, whose secret identity had been discovered by his enemy/ex-girlfriend. Who was now, apparently, his ex-enemy/ex-girlfriend/current-semi-friend/he-didn't-even-know-what-anymore, because she found out that her boss, who was now her enemy, was actually her enemy, all along. And, that same boss/enemy was actually her ex-boyfriend/ex-enemy's arch-nemesis, who wanted to kill Mr. Fenton, marry Mrs. Fenton, and make their youngest child his evil apprentice/son. And, y'know, probably pretend Jazz didn't exist.

Tucker sighed, again. When had his life gotten so complicated?

It would all be alright, though. He knew they would figure it out, somehow.

 _||As long as Sam and Jazz don't leave me to fight the Clone Wars alone, again.||_

* * *

Valerie sat in science class, bored out of her gourd. The questions had settled to the bottom of her mind while she was with Danny. (The ghost-boy's cold had him acting distractingly strange.) But, now that she was away from the so-called Nerd Herd, and had a minute to think, something possibly even _more_ troubling had occurred to her.

 _||Danielle is a half-ghost, too. So, shouldn't she be staying with Danny? She may be capable, but she's too young to be out on her own. Not when she has somewhere to go. And, the way they acted after we rescued her, I doubt Danny would have any problem with letting her stay with him. Unless Danny's parents really don't know. Where did Danielle even go, when she flew off? What if she-||_

 ***Beep-Beep-Beep***

Her thoughts were interrupted by her ghost-detector going off. She got Mr. Watson's permission to go to the restroom, and hurried into the hall and out one of the side exits.

Once outside and suited up, she flew around for ten minutes, the detector's alarm going off at seemingly-random moments, but couldn't find a thing. "ARGH! Stupid-!" She tapped on the glass, then slapped the watch, when it beeped again. "What is _wrong_ with this thing, today!?"

Unfortunately, she was so busy fussing at the device, she really wasn't watching where she was going, and flew straight into the branches of a tree.

Valerie was sure she could hear laughter. Though, spitting out a mouthful of leaves and looking around, she failed to find its origin.

* * *

 _||Well, at least he's not sleeping through class, this time,||_ Sam grinned, looking at the ghost-boy sitting next to her, who was completely captivated by Mr. Lancer's (incredibly boring) lesson. Thankfully, no one else, including the teacher, seemed to notice. But, to be fair, about half of them were asleep, and the others were doodling, passing notes, and playing on their phones.

Danny leaned forward on his desk, mouth hanging open, staring, intently, at the board, as the teacher wrote on it. A string of drool slowly ran from his mouth, onto the desk below it, creating a small pool.

The teacher turned around. "...Mr. Fenton?" He asked. He actually seemed more surprised by the fact that the boy was awake at all, than by his behavior. The halfa said nothing. "...Is there a problem?"

Danny looked up at him, slowly. For a moment, Sam was worried he would do that freaky staring thing, again. She wasn't sure she could explain that one. "...Porcupine underwear." Several people made strange sounds, in response.

"...Mr. Fenton, if you need to use the restroom, I'd prefer that you ask in the traditional manner."

"I'll go with him!" Sam shouted, shooting up from her seat and raising her hand. Then, she realized what she'd just said and blushed, deeply, as her classmates began to snicker. "I mean, I need to go, too!" She corrected, desperately.

* * *

Two minutes later, Sam stood in the girls' room, watching the halfa playing with his ice-boats in the sink. He'd, apparently, needed to stretch his legs.

Valerie ran in, a few minutes after them, probably intending to clean herself up a little. (Though, she refused to tell Sam why she was covered in leaves and dirt.)

She stared at them a moment, seemingly debating whether she'd run into the wrong restroom, before joining Danny at the sink. She was amazed by the boy's boats, watching almost as intently as he did, as he used his ecto-kinesis to make the little ice chunks chase each other around.

"Zoom! Beep! Annie, get the poop deck! Ahhh! No! Mayday! Mayday! Fire on the octopus! Sprinkle the lobster with a casserole! Rescue the hotdog vendor! Dodge the lifeboats, the goats ate all the mac n' cheese!"

"Wonder what he's seeing, here," Valerie said, turning to the goth, who was leaned against the far wall, smirking.

"I'm not sure I wanna know," Sam replied.

The Huntress looked at the boats, then turned back to the other female in the room. "Has he always been able to do this?"

"Nope. He developed his ice powers about five months ago, and his ecto-kinesis about two weeks later." She still didn't trust Valerie. Not completely. But, she figured that that information was pretty harmless. Maybe the ex-A-Lister would realize how strong Danny was, and how he _had_ to be one of the good guys. Because, any bad guy worth their evil cackle, who was _that_ powerful, (other than Vlad,) probably would've already taken over the world.

"Grab the coconuts! They stole the treasure!"

"Wow."

"Yeah," Sam shrugged.

 ***Ah-***

Danny gasped, straightening and reaching for his nose, his ecto-kinesis dropping, and his boats splashing down into the sink, or clattering onto the floor around it. Sam's eyes widened.

 ***-AH-***

"Hit the deck!" Sam yanked Valerie inside one of the stalls, slamming the door shut, just as a certain someone flew in through one of the walls.

"BEWARE!"

 ***-ACHOO***

"Uck! What are you doing!? Get off me!" Valerie fussed, pushing Sam away. The goth girl landed on her rear, outside the stall. You really couldn't blame the Huntress. She didn't realize what had just barely missed her head. All she knew was she had landed with one elbow in the toilet, and she was _**not**_ happy.

Sam was about to yell back at the girl, but stopped, when she spotted the bathroom's new ice sculpture. Valerie was still trying not to throw up, when she heard Sam begin to cackle.

"You think this is funny!? How would _you_ like being pushed into a toilet!?" She shouted, but the goth just shook her head, pointing to something near the back wall, and trying to speak.

Valerie stepped forward to see. "What!?"

"I-" Sam gasped. "It's- haha -it's a Box-sicle!"

* * *

After Sam explained the whole 'sneezing is bad' thing to Valerie, and Valerie actually _thanked_ her, the Huntress ran off to the girls' locker room, to take a shower, having decided that washing off in the sink just wasn't going to cut it, this time. Sam couldn't say she blamed her.

A few minutes later, just before the bell rang, the goth girl finally managed to pry a certain blue-eyed ghost away from the sink. They were probably already going to get detention for skipping two-thirds of Lancer's class, but they'd be in even more trouble if anyone found Danny in the girls' bathroom.

Especially if he was found by Paulina, and Sam was forced to take the shallow, little witch down another notch.

They made it back, three minutes before the bell rang. Two members of the Geek Squad ran in just after them. "Mr. Fenton, Miss Manson, Detention," Lancer said, offering them the paper slips in his hand, hardly seeming surprised. This was normal for the Trio.

It took everything Sam had to keep Danny from eating his detention slip, while keeping it a secret that he _wanted_ to eat it. "Mr. Schwartz, Mr. Reuben, you were gone quite a while. Is everything alright?" The teacher asked, as Sam led the tiny ghost back to their desks.

 _||Wait. The geeks were out in the hall, too? How did I miss them?||_ Sam wondered, incredulously.

"Yes, Mr. Lancer. Everything's fine," Lester said, with almost practiced calm. Clark looked like he'd seen a gh- Well, something really scary.

Sam just shrugged it off as him being nervous it would go on his permanent record, or something. She couldn't say she could relate. She'd given up on her own permanent record, _years_ before. Even before Danny's powers started interrupting things. It was just another way the corporate socialites, who stuck people in cubicles and told them to stay there for the rest of their lives, tried to force their unachievable, perfectionist goals on others, anyways.

At least, in her opinion.

Honestly. The Geek Squad was weirder than the Trio, sometimes. And, _they_ were all fully-human.

* * *

The Box Ghost sat in the Huntress's containment device, once again. But, he wasn't worried about it. The foolish child couldn't understand. While the Ghost-Child's containment device could hold him for a short time, that was only because it was cylindrical. The Box Ghost had little-or-no control over round, spherical, or cylindrical objects. _Cubes_ were more his area of expertise.

The Ghost-Child's containment device was disguised as a liquid transportation vessel. The Huntress's, however, was disguised as a pathetic, human, time-keeping accessory.

A pathetic, human, time-keeping accessory, with a _square_ frame. How could she possibly expect to hold the great Box Ghost within a containment device which he had complete control over.

The Box Ghost had been surprised to discover that the red-clad warrior was still a child, herself. Around the same age as the halfa. Yes, the girl was nothing in comparison to the great Box Ghost, but she was a fine warrior, in her own right.

 _||What is with this town and child prodigies?||_

He had been entertaining himself, by listening to the Ghost-Child's antics. (First, the hiccups, and, now, a core cold? Oh, this just kept getting better.) But, the young half-ghost was no longer nearby. And, as the Huntress, (or 'Valerie', as The Box Ghost had heard several of the other human children call her,) sat in her pathetic, human class, The Box Ghost became bored. And, powerful beings, such as himself, should never suffer the mundane effects of boredom.

The Box Ghost reached out, with his superior power over all things cardboard and square, feeling for the controls of the pathetic, human device. In his mind's eye, his incredible powers showed him the device's entire layout and function. He saw several buttons on the outside of the device. The middle one, he knew, would release him from his wearable prison. But, as great and mighty as The Box Ghost was, he was still a bit weak from his earlier battle, and had, likely, not built enough of his strength back up to escape the Huntress's wrath.

Of course, the mighty Box Ghost could have defeated her, earlier. But, after realizing that she was a child, he had been much too merciful, allowing her to get the upper-hand.

The Box Ghost left these outer controls alone, instead, searching deeper inside the device. There, he found a small sensor. This sensor, (which appeared to him as a small, red light,) he knew, would cause the device to emit a sound, which was intended to alert the Huntress to the presence of a nearby ghost.

The great and powerful Box Ghost reached out with his incredible, ghostly abilities and tripped the sensor.

 ***Beep-Beep-Beep***

The mighty Box Ghost could _feel_ the Huntress stiffen, immediately alert. He heard her ask her instructor's permission to use the lavatory, and grinned, having already learned that this was her usual method of escaping her classes to hunt. He felt her running, then heard the sounds of the twittering, flapping creatures, as well as the rolling, metal, human-transportation machines.

The great Box Ghost sat back in his wonderfully-square room, holding in his laughter, as he nudged the sensor again. He listened, joyfully, to the Huntress raging against her own containment device. He could no longer contain his mirth, however, as the Huntress's rage-induced distraction led her to fly into what sounded like foliage.

This would be the one time the mighty Box Ghost would admit to learning something from a pathetic human. The Huntress had taught him some new words.

* * *

If you give a halfa lunch, she's going to want dessert.

If you try to explain to her that sugar's probably not a good idea, (especially considering what happened, the day before,) she's going to raid your cabinets for cookies, anyways.

If she takes your cookies, she's going to get inhumanly hyper and spill her glass of milk all over your mom's favorite rug.

If she spills milk all over your mom's favorite rug, you're going to become frantic, trying to clean _that_ mess up, and miss the even _bigger_ mess she's making, upstairs.

If you miss the mess she's making upstairs, you'll realize that your parents will be home in three hours, and she's not slowing down, even a little.

And, if you realize that she's not slowing down, even a little, you'll realize that you're **_doomed_**.

* * *

 **AN: Poor Tucker... And, 'Box-sicle'? What are you doing, Elle? *Hits self on the head with a spoon***

 **Hey, everybody! :)**

 **I do not own** ** _Star Wars_** **. I'm just a girl with a laptop, internet access, and a borderline-ghostly obsession with bad puns. ;)**

 **There's a shout-out to one of my favorite, childhood books, in this chapter! Three cheers for anyone who can guess what it is! :)**

 **Also, BOXY! MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE SUPER-VILLAIN! XD I had way too much fun writing him, but I think I made it a little too wordy, trying to sound like he was the narrator.**

 **Bear: Thank you, so much! Lol, ~you'll have to wait n' see!~ ;)**

 **Anywho, lemme know whatcha think :)**

 **As always,  
God bless, and I hope you enjoyed! :)  
\- Ellie**


	22. 21: Sneezer Sailor Specter Guy

**AN: The title is a horrible pun, I know. -_-**

 **Okay, so, I'm doing that whole same-chapter-from-a-different-perspective thing, again. 'Cause, I kinda, really like it. :) This time, we see last chapter, from the eyes of the geeks ;) So, without further ado, on with the show! :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 21:**  
 **Sneezer Sailor Specter Guy**

* * *

After lunch, the Geek Squad split up, agreeing to keep an extra-close eye on the Nerd Herd. Mikey had science with the Huntress, next. (And, he was absolutely **_terrified_**. She was frightening enough when he thought she was a _normal_ , scary, teenage girl.) And, Lester and Clark had English with Danny and Manson.

The boys were all scared of going in alone, like this, but felt they had no choice. Especially Mikey, who would be _completely_ alone with _The Red Huntress_ , without anyone else around who knew who she really was. But, it wasn't like they wouldn't be surrounded by classmates and teachers.

 _Right?_

* * *

Clark crept down the hall, humming the _Mission: Impossible_ theme to himself, as Lester rolled his eyes. The green-eyes teen understood why his friends were being so serious. This was a serious situation.

But, being a super-secret agent, in real life, was _so_ _cool_.

He and Les ducked behind a locker, as Dash and Kwan went by. Thankfully, though, the two jocks didn't notice them, too busy laughing at one of their old war-stories about some other victim's misfortune. Once the bullies had gone past, Lester and Clark headed for English.

* * *

For the next few minutes, the two geeks sat, watching Danny, literally, _drool_ over Lancer's lesson. A lesson even _they_ found boring. Of course, the teacher was completely oblivious to this, (both the boring-ness of it and Danny's odd behavior,) and it was tearing Lester's nerves up.

 _||Look at him! Turn around and_ _look at him_ _!||_ The tallest geek pleaded, mentally, looking between the majorly-confused teen and the oblivious adult.

 _||Finally!||_ He thought, as Lancer turned from the board.

"...Mr. Fenton," The teacher started, seeming surprised that someone was paying attention, at all, and barely-phased by the way Danny was acting. Lester couldn't blame him. Even under normal circumstances, the kid was weird. "...Is there a problem?"

"...Porcupine underwear."

"Ouch," Lester heard Clark mutter, beside him. He had to agree.

* * *

Mikey walked towards his next class, spotting the Huntress, and trying to act casual.

He failed, completely. But, thankfully, she wasn't looking.

He couldn't say he _liked_ the thought of all this danger. But, the redheaded geek had to admit, being the subject of your own, live-action, world-saving, based-on-a-true-story, action/adventure movie _would_ be pretty sweet.

But, it was also serious. It was _their_ responsibility. And, they couldn't just pass it along to someone else. Not yet. No one would believe them, at this point, and Mikey's mother would probably just tell them to leave the Fentons alone. Something about them being 'strange, but nice people'.

They needed proof, to back up their theories. They needed something solid, to show that they weren't just a bunch of silly, little kids.

Once they had enough evidence, the three had decided, they could go to Mikey's dad. _He_ could do something about it. _He_ could do something to _stop_ it.

If any of the other kids at Casper knew that ' _Mr._ Holloway' was actually ' _General_ Holloway, of the United States Marines', they might think twice about messing with the Geek Squad. But, Mikey wouldn't do that. Using social status to further yourself was exactly what had corrupted the A-Listers. He'd watched it happen, starting in third grade. And, he _never_ wanted to be like them.

Manson didn't, either. He knew. His parents had told him. They'd been to a dinner honoring another soldier's military service, hosted by the Manson parents. Apparently, they were filthy, stinkin' rich.

Well, the goth girl had _that_ going for her.

 _||Or, maybe it's not because she doesn't want to be corrupted. Maybe, it's because she's_ _already_ _been corrupted. Maybe she wants as little attention on her actions, as possible. So no one will notice,||_ He thought, suspiciously. He would have to take that one up with Clark and Les.

He shivered and backed up a few steps, catching Gray heading his way. But, apparently, she was just headed for her locker. In fact, she didn't even seem to notice him standing there. If he hadn't backed up, she, likely, would've run over him.

 _||It's almost like she's on auto-pilot,||_ He mused, then froze.

 _||This situation just got a whole new dimension added to it.||_

* * *

Lester waited a few minutes, after Danny and Manson left, then asked to be excused, too. He was wandering down the halls, looking for any sign of the Nerd Herd, when a splash and the sound of Danny shouting 'cable ties' rang out from behind a nearby door.

 _||Cable ties? ...Wait. Is he in the_ _girls' room_ _?||_ He walked over carefully, just in time to be joined by Clark, who seemed a bit out of breath.

"Sorry," He panted. Lester shushed him. "I went the wrong way," He whispered. Lester nodded, and motioned to the powder-room door. "Wait. Is he in the _girls'_ room?" Lester shushed him, again. The dark-haired nerd seemed almost jealous. Lester couldn't blame him. He kinda was, too.

They listened to Danny spouting nonsense amid the splashing noises, for a few more minutes, before they heard someone coming down the hall. They ducked behind a row of lockers, and, at the sound of Danny's sudden, maniacal laughter, heard the footsteps come to a skidding, squeaking halt. They listened a moment, as one pair of feet became two. Several someones were in a hurry.

Or, someone was being _chased_.

 _||Are the hallways_ _always_ _this busy, during class?||_ Lester wondered, absently. Then, Mikey ran around the corner of the lockers and directly into them, knocking his forehead on Clark's chin.

"Ow!" The two shouted, rubbing at their injuries, while Lester was gasping in shock. Their eyes widened, and they all shushed each other, near-panicked, as the footsteps behind Mikey grew louder.

* * *

 ***Beep-Beep-Beep***

Sitting in class, Mikey heard Gray's watch beep. He'd heard it several times before, too, and had reasoned that it was some sort of ghost-detector.

Just as expected, The Huntress asked to go to the bathroom. And, a few minutes later, Mikey did the same. He ran down the halls, having lost her. But, he couldn't stop. Not yet. He decided he would check the area, one more time, then head back to class. He doubted anything would come of his little excursion, but he had to try.

And, that's when he saw her. The Red Huntress, flying around, outside.

He kept an eye on her from the windows, trying to edge his way over to one of the school doors, without losing sight of her. The hinges creaked, as he leaned his head out, just enough to see.

 ***Beep-Beep-Beep***

He looked up. Despite the fact that Gray was far above him, he could still hear her ghost-detector going off. But, she seemed to be unable to find the ghost it was detecting.

He thought back to what Clark had relayed to him, several days before. Apparently, the Huntress had a ghost-capturing device, now, too. Just like Danny Phantom's, but smaller. Something like a-

Mikey gasped. Clark had said it was something like a wristwatch.

 _||That must be it. Valerie's watch must be a ghost-detector_ _and_ _a ghost-capturing device.||_ The Huntress shouted in rage, and it took all the redheaded geek had not to run, screaming.

 _||So, it's malfunctioning?||_ He wondered. Then, he realized how mundane that sounded, in a town full of ghosts.

 _||Or, maybe one of the ghosts figured out how to mess with it,||_ He reasoned, watching the red-clad girl fly around, her alarm going off at random intervals.

 _||Definitely a ghost,||_ He decided, after a moment's observation of the false-alarms. The Huntress kept watching the device on her forearm, yelling at it.

Then, she flew into a tree.

Mikey nearly choked, trying to hold in his laughter. He thought he heard someone else laughing, too.

 _||Is that The Box Ghost?||_ He wondered, listening to the other cackle. He ducked back inside, as Valerie pulled her head free, looking around for the source of the giggling. Even inside, he could still hear her screaming.

 _||Man,||_ He thought, blushing.

 _||I've never even heard_ _Dash_ _use that kind of language,||_ He thought, heading back towards his classroom, as quickly as he could. It wasn't fast enough, however.

As he rounded the corner, the sound of the door slamming and Valerie's angry footsteps on his heels, he realized he would never make it back, without being seen. Panicked, the redhead dove behind a row of lockers, to hide himself.

Running head-first into Clark.

* * *

The reunited Geek Squad heard a door open and close, and peered around the corner of the lockers, carefully. They paled. Judging by the still-swinging door, Lester realized that whoever it was had just run into the girls' bathroom. _With Danny and Manson_.

The three crept over, listening carefully. "Watch out! There's a zombie in the mud! Zoom! Beep! Annie, get the poop deck! Ahhh! No! Mayday! Mayday!" They heard Danny shouting.

 _||Wait. What if, when Jazz said 'delusional', she meant_ _Danny_ _?||_ Lester wondered, listening to the boy's nonsense.

 _|| Wait._ _What if they tested the machine out_ _ **on**_ _Danny?||_

"...the goats ate all the mac n' cheese!"

 _||Oh, we are_ _definitely_ _gonna be needing another emergency Geek Squad meeting, today.||_

Lester turned to his best friend. "Who was chasing you?" He whispered so quietly he was barely able to hear _himself_.

"Huntress," Mikey mouthed, and the other two paled to the same shade as the ceiling tiles. "But, I don't think she was chasing _me_ ," he clarified, and his friends resumed breathing. "She was just chasing the person she heard laughing at her, which happened to be me." They stiffened, then paled, again.

* * *

" _What?_ " Lester croaked. Clark felt like he might cry.

"I don't think she saw me, though." Mikey assured, _way_ too calmly.

 ***Ah-***

The sound of Danny's gasp rang out from behind the bathroom door. Clark nearly checked it out, but he didn't want to go alone, and his friends were a bit preoccupied. "You don't _think_ she saw you?" Lester asked, incredulously.

 ***-AH-***

"Guys, I-" Clark tried, before he was cut off.

"She was stuck in a tree!" Mikey whisper-screamed.

"Hit the deck!" Clark heard Manson shout. Both girls in the room screamed, followed by a splash, and the green-eyed boy rushed quietly over to the door. He pushed it open, just a crack. Manson and Gray were nowhere to be seen, when The Box Ghost flew in through the back wall.

"BEWARE!"

 ***-ACHOO***

 _||Everything is different, now.||_

* * *

Clark still hadn't spoken since the other two had heard Manson and Gray cackling, wildly, and pulled the stout geek's head out of the bathroom doorway. It had been nearly ten minutes. A new record for the green-eyed teen.

The Squad hid, watching Manson, Gray, and Danny exit the restroom, split up, and head back to class. Then, they split up, themselves, and followed, stealthily.

Well, Mike and Les did. Clark just kinda wandered around behind his incredibly-tall friend, in a daze.

* * *

Lester watched, almost amused, from behind another row of lockers, as Manson tried to drag Danny back to class. Clark, on the other hand, looked like he might be sick. "Clark?" He whispered to the shorter geek. The poor boy jumped nearly as high as the locker-tops, yelping in surprise, as if he'd forgotten anyone else was there. Lester yanked him back behind the lockers, shushing him.

"Buddy, are you okay? ...Clark?" He said, his voice laced with concern as he tried to look the shorter geek in the eyes. But, Clark was too busy watching after Fenton and Manson. Lester turned to watch them go further down the hall, holding his friend back from following them. "Clark," He snapped his fingers, after making sure the Trio-members were out of earshot. Clark looked at him. "What is wrong with you?" He said, enunciating each word. His short friend stared at him for a long moment, but didn't answer.

Finally, giving up, Les pulled the dark-haired boy along to class, in a way similar to how Manson had dragged Danny, moments before.

* * *

"Mr. Fenton, Miss Manson, Detention." Lester watched Mr. Lancer hand detention slips to the two teens in front of him.

 _||Is Danny trying to_ _eat_ _his?||_ He wondered, incredulously.

"Mr. Schwartz, Mr. Reuben, you were gone quite a while. Is everything alright?"

Lester snapped back to reality, turning to the teacher, and trying, desperately, not to let his eyes wander back to the short ghost-hunter. "Yes, Mr. Lancer. Everything's fine," He replied, calmly, having practiced this in his head a dozen times, before he and Clark returned to class. But, inside, his mind was churning, along with his stomach. He still wasn't sure what Clark had witnessed, but, whatever it was, it must have been _bad_. And, Danny's display with the detention slips was just making him more worried.

 _||Maybe they_ _did_ _test the machine out on Danny. Maybe it's done something terrible to him, and Clark overheard them talking about it,||_ He thought, though he fought to keep his features innocent, for the teacher.

 _||Or, maybe it left a bad injury, or something, and Clark saw it.||_ He wandered back towards his desk

 _||But, how would anyone even_ _get_ _to him? The guy's got three girls on his side, who could pass as Secret Service agents. Not to mention, Tucker, who could easily hack the CIA, with nothing but a cell phone, and a piece of wire or a good internet connection._ _With his eyes closed_ _. Between the four of them, there's not a person in town - maybe even in the_ _country_ _\- who could get to Danny. They're too protective,||_ Lester thought, gathering his things, before helping Clark with his. As he worked, his mind kept going back to Danny's behavior, at the door. Then, he got an idea.

Once they were finished, and everyone else was gone, he went up to their English teacher's desk.

* * *

"Mr. Lancer," Lester said, seriously, walking to the front of the room. "About earlier."

"Yes, Lester," The teacher said, putting down the book he'd been reading in between classes, and turning to the boy.

"I lied."

"...Come again?"

"Everything's _not_ okay."

Mr. Lancer suddenly felt incredibly concerned. "Lest-"

"I was skipping class," He cut him off.

Then, concern morphed into shock. "Well- I- What?" The teacher stuttered.

"Clark was trying to talk me out of it."

The teacher looked back and forth between two of his best students. One, standing in front of him, admitting to his mistake; and the other, sitting at his desk, with his head in his hands.

 _||No wonder Clark seems so upset,||_ The overweight teacher thought. He turned back to Lester, almost angry. Then, he saw the boy's expression and softened.

"And, do you understand, now, why it was wrong?"

"Yes, sir," Lester nodded, solemnly, staring at his shoes.

"Well... I suppose, since this is a first-offense, and since you seem to have learned your lesson, - not to mention the fact that you came to me and admitted it, instead of letting me believe what you said before - I can let it slide, this time... But, don't do it, again," He finished, mildly stern.

"Actually, Mr. Lancer," Lester started, meeting his instructor's eyes, before he could go back to his book. "I'd rather go to detention. I knew what I was doing. I should be punished." Even Clark seemed to snap out of it, at this, lifting his head to stare at his friend, as if he'd just sprouted an extra arm. The teacher couldn't blame him. He was equally surprised.

"I- Uh- Are- Are you _sure_ , Lester?" The teacher stuttered, again, standing and placing a hand on the boy's - No, the _young_ _ **man**_ _'s_ \- shoulder.

"I'm sure, Mr. Lancer."

* * *

 **AN: Hey, everybody! :)**

 **Boy,** ** _that_** **was somethin', huh? So, what do you think Clark saw? (Or,** ** _thinks_** **he saw?) How do you think it changed things? And, what do ya think Les is planning? Tell me you theories! I can't wait to tell you mine ;)**

 **Anywho, I do not own** ** _Mission Impossible_** **. Are you tired of the disclaimers, yet? Maybe I should just put a list in the Table Of Contents...**

 **Taelyn: Thank you, so much! Lol, I think he is :) And, yeah, the halfas are putting Sam and Tuck through a lot :D And, I LOVE your name, it's so pretty.**

 **Dday: Thank you, so much :)) And, you're the first one to guess the book :) I absolutely loved it, when I was little :))**

 **As always,  
God bless, and I hope you enjoyed! :)  
\- Ellie**


	23. 22: Get Smarter

**Chapter 22:**  
 **Get Smarter**

* * *

After going to the library to get Danny one of the tomato sandwiches Tucker had packed them that morning, which she had left with Jazz, - And, after watching Danny _demolish_ the sandwich, and giving him another, - Sam got Jazz's help to give the ghost-boy his medicine, then coaxed him towards their next class.

She didn't care that it was a little too early to give it to him. Sneezing icicles in public, in a town with G.I.W. agents, was _way_ more dangerous than a little too much cough syrup, in her opinion.

She'd heard the rumors of what those monsters did to captured ghosts.

The goth took a bite of the sandwich she'd grabbed for herself, never letting go of the halfa with her other hand. She leaned back against her locker and sighed.

Then, she saw Clark Reuben _staring_ at her, from the other end of the hall.

 _Please_ _, tell me he doesn't have a crush on me,||_ She thought, almost desperately. Clark was a nice guy. He was really sweet and really smart, but he just wasn't her type. (Not to mention his endless appetite for meat-lover's pizza.) And, despite her tough-girl exterior, she really didn't want to hurt the guy's feelings.

She turned, looking the other direction, to be sure he wasn't looking at something _behind_ her, but there was nothing there. And, when she turned back to where Clark was, there was nothing there, either.

* * *

 _||Oh, my gosh! She saw me! She saw me staring at her! She's gonna think I'm a freak! She's gonna get suspicious! She's gonna find out that I know what I know, and she's gonna_ _kill_ _me, because I know too much! What am I gonna do? I'll have to move to Mexico, and change my name to Calisto Rubén! I DON'T WANNA CHANGE MY NAME! What if she goes after Mike and Les? We'll have to become caballeros and raise chickens! AND, I'M AFRAID OF CHICKENS!||_ Clark thought, practically hyperventilating behind a row of lockers.

He'd been hiding behind lockers more and more often, lately.

* * *

Lester stood beside Clark, breathing heavily as he watched his friend come frighteningly close to a panic attack. He was helpless to do anything about it, though, as he was fighting one off, himself. He'd pulled the short teen behind the lockers, after Manson had seen him, and he'd just continued staring at her.

Lester didn't know what had gotten into the green-eyed geek. He still hadn't spoken since the incident in the girls' room. And, he could only imagine what the three ghost-hunters were doing in there.

 _||Why did they have to drag_ _Danny_ _in there? How often do they do things like this?||_

They'd continued trailing Manson, while Mikey went after Valerie. Unfortunately, Les didn't have any more classes with the Nerd Herd, so he wouldn't be able to keep any more tabs on them, until he went to detention.

 _||Detention,||_ He shuddered.

 _||Mom's gonna kill me,||_ He thought, almost hopelessly, before turning to look at his friend.

 _||And, poor Clark has science with Manson and Danny, next._ _ **Alone**_ _.||_

Lester shuddered, again.

 _||What have we gotten ourselves into?||_

* * *

After deciding that Clark was either looking at something else, or had chickened out of speaking to her, Sam popped the last bite of her sandwich into her mouth and tried to lead Danny further down the hall.

"Froggy!" The halfa shouted, dropping down to his knees and hanging from Sam's waist, his arms wrapped around her. Apparently, he wanted a hug. Sam couldn't say she minded, but they really needed to get to class.

Then, he started pointing down the hall, to where Clark had been. "Buffalo Kid. Margarine flowers on the Easter bonnet. Catapult's stuck in the zoo."

She decided to try Jazz's approach. "Oh, boy," she said, smiling.

"Ice cream."

"Well, then. We'd better hurry, hadn't we." And, after thinking that over a few seconds, the boy finally nodded, stood, and followed her to class.

* * *

Danny tried to warn Froggy about the Buffalo Kid, who had been following them all day, but she didn't seem to be listening. Then, she told him to hurry, and he caught on. She was just pretending, so Buffalo wouldn't know that they knew what he thought they didn't know, but they actually _did_ know, now.

Froggy was a genius.

 _||I wonder if her first name's 'Jeremiah'.||_

* * *

" _Seriously_ , dude. I'm getting worried," Dash said to his best friend, as they walked toward their next class.

"C'mon, bro. I'm sure he's fine. He's been through _way_ worse."

"Yeah, but, the last time we saw him was _Friday_. He was fighting that tech-nerd ghost dude, then they flew out of sight. And, I've been askin' around, and _no one's_ seen him, since then. But, they _have_ seen Tech-Nerd Ghost-Dude. What if he, like... _died_."

"Dude... Phantom's a ghost. I don't think they _can_ die."

"But, what if they _can_. I mean, Fentoad's parents are always goin' on about ' _destroying_ ' ghosts. Isn't that just a fancy way of sayin' ' _kill_ '?"

Kwan considered it for a moment, then paled.

* * *

"AHHH!" Tucker screamed, running for his life. He dove out of the way, just as Ellie's make-shift, 'apparently-I-can-use-my-core-powers-now-only-I'm-completely-delusional-and-I'm-using-them-for- ** _evil_** ' lightning lightsaber (lightning-saber?) slashed though his family's living room couch.

The girl, now in ghost-form, turned to glare at him. Her sparkly tutu was covered in ashes, his mom's mascara was smeared under her eyes like war paint, and an intimidating scowl had replaced the happy-go-lucky smile she'd been wearing, _not_ _ten minutes_ _before_.

Behind her, the room was a shambles. Curtains were torn, the TV screen was busted out, and one lamp shade and a lopsided picture frame were both on fire. Tucker hadn't even known that frame was flammable.

He assumed a truck had just pulled up outside, as the sunlight from the window disappeared, and it suddenly became much darker and much eerier. The flames and lightning-saber (along with the little girls glowing, green eyes, and pale, white ghostly-aura,) now served as the only light in the room. The flickering glows of the flames and electricity only added to the already-terrifying atmosphere, as they reflected into the little halfa's wide, merciless, black pupils.

 _||Well, at least I don't have to lie, this time. A ghost really_ _did_ _do it,||_ He thought, hysterically. Well, a _half_ -ghost did, anyway. But, delusional or not, he wasn't about to tell anybody _that_ part.

By this point, Tucker was convinced of one thing: Danny's clone was secretly a relentless dictator. Or, maybe a female Rasputin, since nothing seemed capable of stopping her.

"This would be so awesome, if my life weren't at stake," He said, scrambling up off the floor, and running for the kitchen. Apparently, while Ellie was taking her after-attic-destruction nap, her core had matured, just as Danny's had a few months before.

He had just finished cleaning up from her previous rampage, and sat down for a breather. She had been laying there, peacefully, mumbling about ghost-bunnies and radioactive rainbows, every once in a while. (Y'know, normal half-ghost, preteen girl stuff.)

Then, all of a sudden, lightning bolts shot out from her body, singeing everything in the room, knocking out the power, and destroying the attic computer. Apparently, Ellie didn't _need_ a teacher to show her how to release her core's energy, like Danny had. Tucker figured it was because she was _already_ a ball of energy, even before there was lightning racing through her veins.

At first, she had been incredibly happy with her new-found powers, figuring them out instinctively. She had found a beautiful kind of simple joy in making sparkles rain around the room. A fire hazard, maybe, but nothing worse than those little, white fireworks that snap and flash when you throw them on the ground. But, apparently, the fact that she was now the same ghost-age as Danny meant that she was susceptible to the same delusions as he was.

Only, hers were _so much_ scarier.

Things had only gone downhill from there. He had managed to hide under his parents' bed for a few minutes, before she, apparently, used some kind of electro-location (like echo-location, but with electricity, instead of sound,) to find him. And, ever since then, he'd been running for his life.

The girl suddenly appeared between him and the kitchen door, in a flash of thunderless-lighting, - Somehow, the silence was scarier than the boom would've been, - brandishing the tip of her sword way too close to his throat. He swallowed hard, but, for some reason, the only thing he could process was:

 _||If she just figured out teleportation, Danny is gonna be_ _so_ _jealous.||_

"Wait," He pleaded, finding his voice and stumbling backwards over the rug, somehow managing to stay on his feet. Maybe he could reason with her by saying whatever popped into his head, like Jazz had done with Danny, that morning. "My mom'll be home, any minute." The little girl cocked any eyebrow at him, but, otherwise, didn't move. "So, if you wanna keep hanging out with me, we're gonna have to play a different game."

She looked at him like he was speaking gibberish, (which, from her perspective, might have been the case,) but lowered her weapon.

"Let's play super, fairy-mermaid, secret agents." The girl's eyes widened, but she said nothing. She was doing that staring thing Danny had done, the night before. Only, her cuteness somehow managed to make it creepier. Like a demon-possessed baby doll.

She floated over, until she was at eye-level with him. Her pupils were enormous, as she seemed to gaze into his soul. He did his best to remember to breathe, as he fought back a shiver.

Then, the girl's demeanor changed, completely. "Apple tarts?" She asked, innocently.

"Yep," He replied, simply, ignoring the crack in his voice. She landed, shifting back into her human form and tilting her head, like a puppy.

"Now, _you're_ going to be Princess General Almond-Butter Pancakes," He said, pointing to her. "And, _I'm_ going to be Dr. Luke N. Goode," He grinned at his own joke, but the little girl didn't seem to catch it. "My mom is your twin sister, Princess Caramel-Apple Pancakes. And, my dad is King Blueberry Pancakes, the Pancake Twins' father. They've been acting as spies, ever since the great Bunny-Rabbit Uprisings of the Apple-Cinnamon Dynasty. They are currently infiltrating the Banana Kingdom, stealing their flawless cake recipes." Tucker had heard Sam and Jazz talking about Danny's delusions, the day before, and figured he might as well plant the same one in Ellie.

 _||Hey, if they're gonna be delusional, they might as well keep their delusions in sync.||_

"The Banana King is the bad guy, in this story. He doesn't want to share his recipes with the world. He'd rather keep them for himself. I've created a false agreement with him, so that we can access his palace, _and_ his recipes, more easily. So, when my mom comes in and starts cooking, under her disguise as a chef, it's your job to make sure you're not found by the guards that are constantly patrolling the kitchen, while you copy down the recipes."

 _||Just one more hour, before the others get home. No,_ _two_ _more hours. Detention, remember, Tuckenstein?||_ He thought, regaining a bit of hope at the little girl's expression.

"I'll talk to the others, while you work, to throw the guards off our trail. It'll be a sort of distraction, but I'll have to make sure it doesn't _look_ like a distraction, otherwise the guards will catch on. That's a lot harder to do than it sounds. Caramel-Apple and Blueberry can't just sneak us the recipes, because it'd blow their covers. You'll have to be extra-careful of the guards, because they can turn invisible, so you'll have to make sure you don't run into any of them, or any of the other spies." By this point, the girl was thoroughly mystified.

||Caramel-Apple pancakes...|| He thought, dreamily, as his stomach growled. He made a mental note to not make things like this up while he was hungry.

"If you're caught, the guards will figure out that you, me, and the whole Pancakes family are spies, and sentence us to rot in the dungeons of olive oil and carrot sticks. Forever. The kingdom will be captured by the evil kitten-Armageddon war-machine, and the field of magical mermaid-butterflies will wilt and die. So, let's go out there and get those recipes, without getting caught!"

The little girl gasped, hands covering her mouth, her sparkling eyes the size of dinner plates. "Goober halo ventriloquist-wrestling!" She saluted, rushing up the stairs to, hopefully, find a notebook and pencil, for the recipes. Tucker let out a sigh of relief, leaning against the kitchen door frame.

Then, one of the curtain-rods fell, reminding him that part of the room was on fire, and he went to get the extinguisher.

* * *

"HEY, MADDIE," Jack Fenton called, as he bounded up the stairs. He skidded to a halt in the living room doorway, the ectopus, once again, in his grip, like a sentient, green balloon.

"Jack, what are you-"

"WATCH THIS!" He let go of the eight-legged creature, which remained floating next to him. He held his hand up. "GIMME FIVE!" The ectopus slapped his hand with one tentacle. "GOOD BOY, MARTY!" He said, squeezing the ghost in a bear-hug and petting it's head.

"...' _Marty_ '?"

"YEAH, I-"

"Jack, don't name it. You'll get attached to it."

"...I KNOW," The big man deflated, and Maddie sighed.

"Just remember that we have to send it back to the Ghost Zone, as soon as it's better."

"YEAH, OKAY," He sighed, then perked up. "C'MON, MARTY, LET'S GO TEACH YOU SOME MORE TRICKS!"

"Jack, I-"

"I KNOW HE'S GOING BACK, MADS. BUT, HAVING A TRAINED ECTOPUS ON OUR SIDE WOULDN'T BE A _BAD THING_ , IF WE EVER FOUND OURSELVES LOST IN THE GHOST ZONE," He reasoned, before he and the green creature disappeared back into the lab, giddily.

Maddie sighed, again. If Danny ever found out they were keeping an ectopus, after they told him he couldn't have a puppy...

* * *

 **AN: Hey, everybody! :)**

 **Did you get the reference in Danny's delusion? Because, I had way too much fun writing it. I even considered going back and changing the delusion where Sam smiled and Danny thought she was half shark to her growing horns and Danny thinking she was half bull, just so I could say 'Jeremiah was a bull-froggy' :)**

 **Hehe... I may have a problem.**

 **Also, that last part with Tucker was weird, huh? I had way,** ** _way_** **too much fun writing about Evil-Ellie. :)**

 **And, Marty :)**

 **I do not own '** ** _Joy To The World_** **', by** ** _Three Dog Night_** **, I just love it. And, I do not own** ** _Lightsabers_** **. (Though, I do believe I've been hit with my baby cousin's plastic one, several times, lol.)**

 **Bear: Thank you, so much! I'm glad you're enjoying! :))**

 **Last thing. I know this story's been dragging, a little, but this is where the real stuff is gonna start happening. So, hopefully, it's still good enough for you guys to stick around :)**

 **As always,  
God bless, and I hope you enjoyed! :)  
\- The not-evil Ellie**


	24. 23: Nerd-torious

**Chapter 23:**  
 **Nerd-torious**

* * *

Valerie was sure she was being followed. She didn't know by who, but, as she looked around the school hallways, she only became more confident in her suspicions.

Then, several someones on the other end of the hall screeched and shouted, and the feeling was gone. So, she shrugged it off as paranoia, caused by the hourly paranormal encounters everyone in this town suffered from.

* * *

Mikey knew it wasn't his brightest move, but he followed Valerie to their next class, anyways. He was careful to keep his distance, and keep out of sight, while making sure to keep the Huntress _in_ sight.

Then, he walked head-first into someone else, and everything became blindingly loud.

 _||I didn't know Star had the power to make someone synesthetic.||_ It wasn't what he needed to be thinking about, at that particular moment, but it was all he could manage through the shock. He thought he heard Paulina say something, too. But, his eardrums were already too abused to make it out, just yet.

* * *

Star was absolutely appalled. She and Paulina had just been minding their own business, sneaking along behind Valerie, trying to figure out what the deal was with her and the Nerd Herd, when a skinny, little, bug-eyed geek ran into her.

"Ew! Geek Germs!" She screeched.

"Stay away from her, you creepy, little weirdo!" Paulina shrieked, perfectly-manicured claws drawn. The redheaded boy froze, trying to stammer something what was probably an excuse.

But, he still wound up in the nurse's office.

* * *

Sitting in science class, trying to take a nap, Danny suddenly perked up.

 _||What are 'geek germs'?||_ He wondered, drowsily, before laying his head back down, and drifting off, again.

* * *

Lester walked down the hall. He wasn't skipping. He really _did_ have to go to the bathroom, this time. But, he figured he might, as well, check in on Clark, Danny and Manson, while he was near their class. He was really worried about his green-eyed friend.

He peered in through the little window in the science room door, pencil and notepad poised to mark down anything and everything he may or may not see.

 _||Danny's asleep. Nothing new there, then,||_ He thought, watching the strange Junior for a moment and scratching something down. He looked over at the violet-eyed goth girl, sitting next to him.

 _||Manson's copying something down from the board. Pretty much normal.||_ He noted it and turned to his dark-haired friend.

 _||And, Clark is staring into the pages of his textbook, as though they're speaking to him. Well. That's unusual.||_

He tucked his notebook and pencil into his back pocket and watched for another few seconds. But, nothing of interest happened. - Seriously, though, what were they going to do in front of the entire class, whether or not half of them were asleep? - So, he was about to head back to his own class, (since his friend was still breathing, and there was really nothing he could do for him at the moment, anyways,) when a certain, tiny Junior suddenly lifted his head and looked _directly at him_.

Lester wanted to duck down, but he couldn't move. He couldn't think. He couldn't breathe. Not for what seemed like an eternity. The smaller boy's eyes locked with his own, and he was _paralyzed_. Danny raised one arm, slowly, pointing to him, as several others began to turn to look. The world seemed to be going in slow-motion, as everything within Lester's sight-line slowed to an eerie crawl. The redheaded giant had never felt so terrified, in his entire life. (And, that was saying something, when you lived in Amity.)

Then, the blue-eyed boy said something he couldn't make out, and Lester practically _fell_ below the classroom door's window, the world resuming its normal pace, just as Manson turned in his direction.

A few minutes later, after he'd caught his breath, he peered back through the window, carefully. Thankfully, no one seemed to have noticed him. And, Danny was asleep, again.

Clark met his eyes, seeming completely panicked. Lester knew his friend hadn't seen what had happened. No one had had time to turn all the way in his direction, when the world had stopped spinning.

 _||Thank heavens. The_ _last_ _thing we need is for this to get out prematurely and create a panic. Just look at what it's done to poor Clark, already.||_ He looked at his friend, again, who was pretending to pay attention. At least, that's what Lester _assumed_ he was trying to do. It looked more like he was having a nervous breakdown. He'd been pulling at his hair, while he was staring into his textbook, and it had caused his short bowl-cut to stick out, in all directions, like a lion's mane. A _rabid_ lion's mane. Which only served to make his saucer-sized eyes seem even larger.

 _||Well, at least he's a little less out-of-it than he was between classes,||_ Lester thought, relieved that his friend seemed to be recovering.

The moment he thought this, however, he felt a large shadow fall across his back.

While the logical part of his mind was arguing that you can't _feel_ a shadow, the illogical part, (which seemed to grow stronger, the longer he stayed in that crazy town,) was drowning it out with alarm bells.

He turned, trembling. "Okay, geek. What do you know about the Nerd Herd?"

* * *

"Dude, why are we spying on Fenton, again?" Kwan asked, following Dash down the hall. They hadn't bothered with hall passes. They didn't need them.

"I told you, man. Fenton's parents are _ghost-hunters_ ," His best friend answered.

" _So_?"

Dash turned to him. " _So_ , if something happened to Phantom, they'll know about it. And, if _they_ know about it, their _kids_ 'll know about it." The quarterback continued down the hall, peeking through the classroom windows, looking for any sign of the blue-eyed shrimp. "Besides, didn't you notice that the Nerd Herd disappeared, right after Phantom did. And, no one's seen Foley since right after Phantom's last fight."

"I thought he had the chicken pox, or something."

Dash gasped, grabbing hold of his friend's shoulders and shaking him, "You're right! What if the Nerd Herd's been _helping_ Phantom, and Foley's faking being sick so he can ditch and help him out!? Oh, man, we gotta figure this out, so _I_ can get it on it! I'd be a _way_ better superhero sidekick than any of _those_ losers!"

"If you say so, dude," Kwan said, shoving the blond off of him. He wasn't convinced, but decided to just go with it. This was still better than English.

He'd watched Valerie (from three much-too-short rows behind) for a few minutes, while Dash kept an eye on Danny and Sam in science class, the two footballers texting each other the whole time. They finally decided that the girls were both too dangerous to approach. So, when Dash texted Kwan to ditch, he had gladly obliged, and the two went with spying for answers, instead of learning about whatever it was they were supposed to be learning.

Anything to put distance between them and Fenton's guard-chicks.

The two boys wandered the halls for a few minutes, breaking into Danny's locker, to look for anything that might help them, then turned the corner to find that tall, redheaded geek staring into the science room. The room Dash was _supposed_ to be in, and Fenton and Manson _were_ in.

It wasn't really surprising, though. That little weirdo, Lester, loved science. He probably wished he could have it for every period, just like how the Jocks felt about P.E.

 _||Maybe we could get some kinda trade thing set up. The jocks take the geeks' gym classes, and the geeks take the jocks' science, and English, and math, and everything else that's boring,||_ Kwan thought, before Dash nudged him back to reality, motioning to the redhead by the door. He saw the geek stiffen, as they got closer, and nearly chuckled.

Kwan might not have been the smartest kid in Casper, but he knew that living in Amity Park gave you instincts like nowhere else. Thanks to the ghosts, the people of their town had to know when someone was there, even if they couldn't _see_ them. Fail, and you risked being blasted or overshadowed. Or both.

"Okay, geek. What do you know about the Nerd Herd?" Dash asked. When the redhead didn't respond, the blond grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. Then, Kwan saw Mr. Watson through the window, and signaled to Dash that they needed to move their 'conversation' further down the hall.

* * *

Sam was seriously getting tired of the A-Listers' reign of tyranny. Poor Lester was sitting two seats down from her, at the newly-assigned 'detention table', in the half-destroyed math classroom. The teal-eyed geek was trembling under Dash's glare from the other side, a bright, new black-eye blossoming on his face. The goth had a hunch where the shiner had come from.

She cleared her throat, drawing the jock's attention to her. He froze, then faced straight forward, seemingly trying to pretend nothing had happened.

Or, maybe he thought that, if _he_ couldn't see _her_ , _she_ wouldn't be able to see _him_.

Sam decided that, as soon as Danny was over this cold, she was going to set to work on making the A-Listers behave like civilized people. Danny had enough to worry about, being the town superhero, without having to deal with bullies. So, she could become the _high school_ superhero. Besides, if the A-Listers finished high school and went out into the real world with this attitude, they'd just wind up in jail.

Not that Sam minded that, all too much. But, then, she would have to live with the knowledge that her taxes were paying for their living arrangements, and she'd have to get into monetary favoritism in the legal system, and she just didn't have the energy to even think about that, right then.

Nevertheless, she sat back, grinning at the vision that had just come into her mind's eye. In it, Paulina and star were standing in a jail cell, whining about stripes making them look fat, and how their ball-and-chains didn't match their nail polish.

Around the room, several people suddenly either shivered or smiled, for no apparent reason. Danny did both, but that was probably just him.

* * *

Lester didn't know what he'd expected from detention. Maybe a chance to talk to Manson, Gray, and Danny, without them being able to just walk away. Maybe a chance to question them, find out who's side they were on, who they were working for. Maybe a chance to listen in on their private conversations, while maintaining a plausible explanation for his presence. All while a teacher was nearby, so nobody could kill him.

But, no. _Of course_ , it couldn't be that simple.

Apparently, no one was allowed to talk during detention. Not even to alert the teacher of someone being _bullied_. So Lester was forced to sit there, quietly, while Dash glared daggers at him.

Then, in a twist of events that would've knocked him off his feet, (if he hadn't been sitting, at the time,) Manson actually _glared back_ at Dash, effectively shutting the jock's silent threats up.

Lester knew it wasn't over, though. While Dash and Kwan had been interrogating him, - For what purposes, he still had no idea, - the redhead had screamed in terror, alerting several teachers. Teachers who, _finally_ , caught the bullies red-handed.

He had no doubts that Dash would just get his revenge _after_ school, and it was taking up a good portion of his attention. But, despite the panic stealing away mammoth chunks of his incredibly-large mental faculties, another portion of his brain couldn't help but wonder if he'd misjudged the goth girl.

And, maybe even _Gray_.

 _||Maybe we misread the entire situation.||_

But, no. One thought of what he'd seen in Social Studies, along with the memory of poor Clark's expression after he and Mike had dragged the boy out of the bathroom doorway, had him dispelling that line of thinking. Manson was probably just being nice to keep her cover intact. Playing the 'peace-loving vegan' role. But, he knew better. These people were _anything_ but peaceful.

 _||Well, except, maybe, Danny. We still need to figure out which side he's really on. But, I'm pretty sure he's an innocent, in all this.||_

Despite all these speculations occupying his thoughts, the vision of Star and Paulina whining in a jail cell suddenly came, unbidden, to his mind. He couldn't help the semi-evil smirk that crept across his face. He'd heard about what those witches had done to Mikey. Something like that would serve them right.

But, the moment soon passed, and he felt something in his hands. He looked down to realize that he was _fidgeting_. This whole 'sitting-still-with-little-to-no-neurological-input' thing was _unbearable_.

He looked up at the clock, hoping it was nearing the time of their release, awaiting-bullies or not.

One more minute ticked away.

It had only been seven.

 _||How do people endure this torture? And, what, on earth, was I thinking?||_

* * *

Valerie sat, separated from Sam and Danny, again. Instead, she sat by Kwan, silently terrifying the linebacker, and enjoying it a little too much. She was leaned back with her feet propped on the table, glancing at him every so-often with a deviously-cheerful expression on her face, as she idly sharpened her favorite pocket-knife. Of course, she hid it under the table whenever Mrs. Hamilton turned in their direction. She was allowed to carry it with her, as it was, technically, a tool, and could be used in the event of a ghost attack or other emergency. But, she knew better than to push her luck.

Actually, _most_ of the students of Casper High (and most of the citizens of Amity Park) carried a weapon of some sort with them, for that very purpose. This by demand of the Fentons, as well as the other parents. Though, no one in Casper High, aside from a few teachers and the school's five resident ghost-hunters, had ever actually _used_ them. They were always too busy panicking.

 _||Honestly, you'd think, after all this time, some of them would've grown at least a_ _little_ _bit of a backbone,||_ She thought, sighing.

 _||Or, at least figured out that The Box Ghost is more of an annoyance, than a threat.||_

She saw several A-Listers shudder, and the image of Casper High's own queen bee and her satellite, in jail, came into her mind. She had no idea where the thought had come from, and she didn't care. She smirked, shark-like, and nearly laughed out loud at the the idea.

 _||It's times like this I wish I could draw, or paint, or something. So, I could make a hard-copy of that picture, and hang it on my bedroom wall. I'd even have framed.||_

* * *

 ***Thunk***

Lester's head hit the table, loudly and desperately. Several heads turned to look at him, but just as many ignored it. They recognized the sound of a first-time detentionaire, at the end of their rope.

* * *

 **AN: Hey, everybody! :)**

 **"See? You** ** _can_** **teach monkeys to swim." I do not own** ** _Detentionaire_** **, no matter how much I love it.**

 **I know. It's really not my best work. And, it's really short, besides that. But, hopefully, I'll make up for it with the next chapter :))**

 **So, now we have the geeks and the A-Listers spying on the Trio. What could, possibly, go wrong? ;)**

 **Bear: Thank you, so, so much, again, my friend! :)))**

 **As always,  
God bless, and I hope you enjoyed! :)  
\- Ellie**


	25. 24: Not-So-Safe House

**Chapter 24:**  
 **Not-So-Safe House**

* * *

Clark and Mikey snuck along behind the four ghost-hunters, ducking into alleyways, and behind trashcans and parked cars. Well, Mikey did. Clark was trying, but he was still a bit dazed. Lester had already gone home, to handle damage-control over his first detention.

"So, I was wondering," Gray started, carefully. "Whatever happened to Danielle. I mean, the last time I saw her, she called Danny her cousin, but then she went off on her own. She isn't, like, homeless, is she?"

Sam seemed almost defensive, at first, but softened near the end of the Huntress's question. Even through his mild stupor, Clark could see the girl's concern, though she tried to hide it.

"Danielle? Who's Danielle? I didn't know Danny had any cousins. I thought he said, in that family tree thing we did in eighth grade, that his parents were the only ones in the family who'd had any kids." Mikey asked, quietly, more to himself, than to anyone else. Clark didn't reply. He still hadn't said much, since 'The Revealing', as he was calling it. Though, it wasn't because he couldn't. Not anymore. Now, it was because he was still trying to process the new information and sort it into intelligible sentences.

Or, at least, get to the point where he didn't feel like his brain was going to explode, and he was going to vomit out the debris, _through his nose_.

"That's... hard to say, for sure," Sam explained, carefully. "She's staying with us, for the moment, though. She's got Danny's cold, too," The Huntress, to both geeks' surprise, seemed _relieved_.

"I'm glad to hear it. I was a little worried, after she just took off, like that. I mean, I'm sure she can handle herself, but she _is_ just a kid. I know I _could've_ handled being on my own, at that age, but I wouldn't have _wanted_ to," She said, smiling sadly. Then, she grinned. "But, I can only imagine what it's like having _two_ of them like this," She pointed to Danny.

"It's definitely interesting," Jazz said. "And, she goes by 'Ellie', now."

This would've given Clark and Mikey a lot more information than the four ghost-hunters would ever have guessed. Too bad the two geeks missed most of it, when Mikey tripped over his shoelace and face-planted behind a dumpster, adding to the series of scratches marring his face from his encounter with Paulina and Star, earlier. Thankfully, the others didn't seem to have heard his slight, girlish shriek, as he went down. Except for Danny, who turned to look at them.

Only, he didn't actually _turn_. His head did. One hundred and eighty degrees, to look at Clark. "Buffalo Kid," He said, pointing to the green-eyed boy.

"That's nice, Danny," The three girls said, in unison. Clark was lucky they didn't turn around, since his feet were now one with the concrete, and his stomach was threatening to ooze out his eyeballs. But, thankfully, Sam just got the tiny ghost-fighter by the hand and tugged him along, his head still facing the wrong direction.

"No, I'm not hurt. Thanks for asking," Mikey grumbled, sarcastically, climbing to his knees to glare at his friend. Then he stood, in a panic, grabbing Clark and jerking him into the alley. "Are you crazy!? You think they're not gonna notice you standing in the middle of the sidewalk, staring at them, like a deer in the headlights!?" He whisper-screamed.

Clark couldn't answer. He was too busy hyperventilating.

* * *

By the time Mikey got his friend calmed down enough that the redhead didn't feel the need to keep 911 punched in on his phone, ready to dial, the four ghost-hunters were long-gone. He back-spaced the emergency number off of his screen and dialed Les, to check in.

Thankfully, Mr. Lancer had taken pity on the taller redhead, and the incident wouldn't be going on his record. And, apparently, because of Lester's 'incredibly mature behavior', the teacher hadn't even called his parents. They all breathed a sigh of relief at that. The last thing the amateur spies needed, right then, was extra attention.

Mikey used the remaining ten minutes it took to get to his friend's house to berate him for doing something like that, without consulting them. Les argued that he couldn't have consulted Mikey, because he was on the other end of the school. He also pointed out that asking Clark wouldn't have done any good, because he was still in his own little world, and hadn't even know about the entire thing, until _after_ detention. Despite the fact that he was _five feet from him_.

"By the way, has he snapped out of it, yet?" Lester asked. It sounded like he was eating potato chips. A sure sign of his anxiety.

"Yeah... Well, he _had_ , kind of. Until he had a relapse."

"What kind of relapse?" Mikey glanced over at the dark-haired geek, hugging himself and trailing along behind him, like a lost puppy.

"You'll see. Coming up on your door."

"Roger. See ya, in a sec." He hung up.

Mikey shut his flip-phone and rung the doorbell. A few seconds later, Lester's mother answered. "Why, hello, Mi- Oh, Mikey, Honey, what _happened_!? You look like you got attacked by a ghost-squirrel!" She said, trying to get a closer look at the scratches covering his face and the bruise blossoming on his cheek.

"U-uhh, I tripped on my way over here." Well, it was half-true. He knew he really shouldn't have stuttered. He'd already practiced it in his head, _at least_ a dozen times, but the ghost-squirrel thing had thrown him off, for a moment. (Lester's mother had a gift for the random-yet-accurate.) "Is Les home?" He asked, even though he knew the answer.

"He sure is, Sweetie. You two, go right on up," She smiled, kindly, stepping beck to let them by. "You be more careful, from now on, though. Okay?"

"I will," Mikey assured, trying to hurry past.

"Clark, are you feeling alright, Hun?" She asked, after getting a good look at the other boy.

Y-yes, ma'am," Clark said, snapping out of his stupor, partially. "I guess I just had a bad day at school."

"Oh, you poor thing," The woman said, pulling him into a hug. "All three of you," She pulled Mikey into the hug, as well. "Poor Lester came home with quite the shiner. My poor, baby boy. He really should be more careful opening his locker door." Mikey nearly snickered at the excuse. Apparently, Les had stopped the teachers from reporting what Dash and Kwan had done, too. Normally, the majority of the school's population would've been _thrilled_ to have something on the bullies, but the Squad couldn't risk any excess attention, at the moment. "Well, you boys, just run right on up those stairs and make it a better day with your friends, while I fix you some nice, hot chocolate. How's that sound?" She smiled, releasing them.

"It sounds great, ma'am. Thank you," Mikey answered. Clark smiled at her, as she tussled his hair. Mrs. Schwartz seemed to buy it, but Mikey (and Lester, who was leaned on the railing, at the top of the stairs,) could tell it was forced.

* * *

Sam, Jazz, Valerie, and even _Danny_ stood gaping at the Foley house. It looked like it had been turned into an impromptu battle-field. (Which, again, in this town, was entirely possible.)

"Robo-Panda washed a jackrabbit in the kitchen sink," The ghost-boy breathed, amazed. The other three looked at him, but then went back to gaping like fish. And, they would've _kept_ gaping for some time, if something hadn't hit Danny on the head.

 ***Plunk***

"Parchment paper coconuts," He said, almost angrily, rubbing the sore spot. The other three looked down, finding a green board-game die on the concrete.

"Sorry, Buddy," Someone half-whispered. The four looked up to see Tucker, leaning out his bedroom window. "I was aiming for Jazz."

"Hey," The redhead complained. Before any of them could say more, though, Tucker looked around, as though checking that the coast was clear. The three girls followed his lead, doing the same. When they turned back, the techno-geek had disappeared.

Thirty seconds later, his head popped back out the window. "Incoming," He said, just as quietly as before. Suddenly, a little, blue-eyed ghost-girl, covered in soot and what appeared to be misused makeup, was standing in front of them, smiling. The three older girls jumped.

"Princess Crayon!" Danny shouted, before Tucker shushed him. The five on the ground looked at the techno-geek, confused, but he just put his hand to his ear in a 'call me' sign, and disappeared inside, again.

Sam took the hint, dialing their friend, as they headed away from the house. He picked up in less than a second. "I told my parents a ghost did it. Not really a lie, but, trust me, when I say that Ellie will be _much_ safer somewhere else, for a while," He said.

Sam opened her mouth to respond, but the tech-loving boy hung up on her. She was gonna kill him, for that.

* * *

Okay, so, maybe, telling Ellie to play invisible spy around his parents _wasn't_ as brilliant as Tucker had thought it was. But, he was in shock at the time, and was completely traumatized, by this point, so he figured he had the right to a few bad ideas.

Thankfully, nothing had been lost that couldn't be replaced, his family's insurance was going to cover all of the damage, and his parents weren't making him help clean up, because he was still 'sick'. So, after a bowl of chicken-noodle soup, (which he was secretly feeding to the invisible ghost-girl, the whole time,) a few way-too-close-calls, and enough paranoia for an FBI convention, he finally excused himself and got the little halfa to come back upstairs with him.

It had been around an hour, and it was getting harder to keep Ellie quiet, when he heard something outside. He went to the window, and, sure enough, it was everyone's favorite, delusional ghost-boy. The techno-geek's friends seemed just as shocked as his parents were about the damage.

He searched the attic, frantically, looking for something he could use to get their attention, without alerting anyone else. The best option he found was the dice from the board game Ellie had made him play, thirty-two times, _making the rules up, as she went_. He had lost every game.

He grabbed one green cube, and tossed it in Jazz's direction, just because she was the least-dangerous target. Plus, she was the furthest from Danny, and, in his current condition, the ghost-boy might've tried to eat it.

 ***Plunk***

But, of course, his aim was off, and it hit the older halfa, instead. "Parchment paper coconuts," The boy said, almost as if it were a curse. Tucker swallowed a snicker that would probably have turned into hysterics if he'd let it loose. He almost lost it when, as one, the three girls on the ground looked at the die, like it was some kind of alien landing-probe.

"Sorry, Buddy," He whisper-yelled to his friend. The four turned their heads to stare at _him_ like an alien landing-probe. "I was aiming for Jazz," He said, truthfully.

"Hey," the oldest Team-member whined, as he checked the surrounding area for prying eyes, and ducked back inside.

He went over to the little ghost-girl, who was putting lipstick in her baby doll's hair. Apparently, it was 'pretty hair-dye', in her eyes. His mom really _was_ gonna kill him.

"Hey, Ellie?" She looked at him. "You wanna go play with Da- I mean, Monkey-Man?" She grinned, and nodded, and he knelt to whisper in her ear. She nodded, again, and disappeared. He went back to the window. "Incoming."

He nearly lost it, _again_ , when the three older girls jumped, and Danny shouted with joy. He shushed his best friend, so his parents wouldn't hear, signaled his other best friend to call him, and hurried back inside.

He picked up his phone, and held his breath. He didn't have to wait long.

 ***Rin-***

He answered before the first ring could even finish. "I told my parents a ghost did it. Not really a lie, but, trust me, when I say that Ellie will be _much_ safer somewhere else, for a while," He said, using the entire breath he'd been holding, in one go. He heard his mom on the stairs, panicked, and hung up.

Sam was gonna kill him, for that.

* * *

Les and Mike watched, concerned, as Clark paced the room. He'd been at it for ten minutes, now, and had glared and mumbled something about having to think, every time they'd tried to say something.

Suddenly, he stopped, took a deep breath, and turned to them, a new resolve shining in his eyes. He actually seemed like his old self, for a moment, and the other two leaned in closer, past-ready for his explanation.

Then, the green-eyed geek shut his mouth, and shook his head, deflating.

He came to the middle of the room, where his friends were, and sat in the floor, before them. He rested his head in his hands, for several moments, and the two redheads thought they heard sniffling.

Lester reached over, putting his hand on his friend's shoulder, and the short sixteen-year-old finally looked up. Tears were leaving tracks down the sides of his face, and an ugly stream of snot ran from his nose. Mikey handed him a tissue, and he took it, blowing his nose, like a bugle.

"You wanna talk about it?" Lester asked, tentatively.

After receiving a negative head-shake, Mikey decided it was best if he started. "Should we consider the possibility that Valerie Gray has been replaced with an android? Or, is under some type of mind-control?" He asked. The question had been on his mind since the girl had nearly run him down in the halls. He hoped the sudden change of subject would give his short friend a chance to mentally regroup.

 _||Maybe that one was a little_ _too far_ _off-topic,||_ He thought, as the other two stared at him.

"...Come, again?" Les asked, finally.

"Think about it," He defended. "She completely changed, practically overnight. Then, she suddenly became this, (you gotta admit,) _incredible_ fighter, even though she'd been pampered her entire life, up until that point."

Lester considered it. "And, this happened just months between the appearance of the ghosts and the appearance of the _Demons_ In White... So, I guess it could be possible... But, wouldn't her father have noticed?" He mused, picking up on where the shorter redhead was going, and remembering to spit the Squad's nickname for the G.I.W. No one could ever doubt his hatred for the monsters who proved, time and again, to have zero respect for the lives they claimed to protect.

"What if Mr. Gray's an android, too?" It was the first real thing Clark had said since 'The Revealing', and his friends tried their best to hide their surprise, so he wouldn't get spooked back into silence. They really, really, _really_ , wanted to know just _what_ had been revealed. "Or, could he be being mind-controlled, too? Didn't we originally suspect that Axion Labs was in on this? Did we ever disprove that?"

Lester considered it. "I don't think so. And, actually, I doubt either of them are androids. They show too much emotion."

"There _are_ algorithms to mimic human emotion," Mikey interjected.

"Point. But, they aren't that advanced, yet. And, judging by what we've seen, I seriously doubt the _Demons_ are competent enough for that type of operation. But, mind-control would explain the change in Gray's behavior, as well as the seemingly-mentally-controlled battle-suit. Plus, depending on the method used, they just _might_ be able to figure it out."

"And, that would explain the violent mood-swings! What if she's _fighting_ it!?" Mikey said, growing excited. Clark looked terrified. This whole thing was taking a major toll on the poor boy. "Or, what if they really _aren't_ competent enough to handle it, and keep losing control of her? That would also explain the mood-swings!"

"Maybe. We'll give her the benefit of the doubt, for now. But, we still shouldn't _trust_ her, until we know for sure, and (if it should be true) find some way to free her," Lester posed, and the others nodded. "Now, something else I've been concerned about," He started. His friends looked at him. "You remember how, at lunch, the Herd was saying things like 'cold', 'mind', and 'hospital'?" They nodded. "And, how we wondered, _then_ , if it was some kind of mind-control?" Mikey gasped, again, paling considerably.

"Maybe we really _are_ onto something, about Gray," Clark nearly-whispered, catching on.

It was Lester's turn to nod, as he continued explaining his theory. "Danny's been acting sick, and he's seemed pretty incoherent, at times. I don't like to just _accuse_ people of something like this, especially people like the Fentons-"

"Bu-"

Lester held up his hand, cutting Mikey off, as he tried to interject. "I know you don't like them, and I know they have ties with the _Demons_ , but so does the town, in general. And, that doesn't, necessarily, mean they're in on the Demons' plans. The Fentons have never been anything but friendly, and even _kind_ , to me, and I won't drag innocent peoples' names through the mud. We need proof, not assumptions," He told his best friend, almost-sternly, having been over this several times, already. Mikey's disdain for the elder Fentons was almost as strong as Lester's was for the Guys In White, and the shorter redhead was raring to convict the strange parents over their suspicions, with or without evidence. But, Les knew his friend was just angry and scared.

"I do _suspect_ they're in on it," Lester conceded. "Manson and Gray, too. (Though, my thoughts on Gray are changing, the more I consider your theory, Mike.)" The short redhead preened, slightly. One of the reasons the three geeks got along so well was that they were all humble enough to considered the other two smarter than themselves, so any compliments they gave were seen as the utmost praise. "The more we learn, the more it looks like whoever is doing this is connected to Danny, somehow."

"But, not Jazz, though. Right?" Clark asked. The other boys' eyes widened, having forgotten the Fenton sister's existence, for the umpteenth time. Clark never did, though. But, considering his current condition, and the seriousness of the situation, Les and Mike refrained from teasing him about his crush.

"She _may_ be involved," Lester mused, and the stout boy tensed. "But, I doubt it." Clark relaxed, again, as Les continued, "She's too protective. Always has been. She probably doesn't even know about what's going on."

"And, if she does, she's probably either too afraid to say anything, or is being threatened into silence," Mikey said, without thinking. Lester saw Clark gasp and take on what could only be described as an 'I'm-going-to-destroy-every-last-one-of-those-monsters-without-any-semblance-of-mercy' look, and quickly continued, before his dark-haired friend could run off and get himself killed.

"But, judging by Danny's behavior the past few days, I'm worried that whoever it is might've already completed the device." His friends paled. "And, I'm afraid they might've _tested it_ on Danny." They paled more, Lester joining them. Saying it out loud brought a lot of it home.

Mike and Les heard sniffling, and turned to see that their green-eyed friend had his head in his hands, again. He looked up at Les, then at Mike. And, then, he broke down, bawling.

"Clark?" Mikey asked, concerned.

"C'mon, Clarky, talk to us." Lester plead, unusually gentle, scooting closer.

"What did you see? The sooner we know, the sooner we can start on making it right," Mikey reasoned, sitting on Clark's other side.

The dark-haired boy looked up at them again, still sniffing. "Guys," He nearly whispered. They leaned closer. "...I think Danny Fenton is a ghost."

The Squad slept over at Lester's, that night.

* * *

 **AN: Hey, everybody! :)**

 **So, if the Squad doesn't know that Danny is Phantom, what** ** _do_** **they know? And, what's the G.I.W up to, if they're right? ;)**

 **As always,  
God bless, and I hope you enjoyed! :)  
\- Ellie**


	26. 25: Adventures In Halfa-Sitting 2

**Chapter 25:**  
 **Adventures In Halfa-sitting 2:**  
 **The Tiny War**

* * *

Sam, Jazz, and Valerie sat in Danny's bedroom, watching their delusional friends have an ice-lightning, space battle.

Of course, Ellie wasn't skilled enough to make shapes with her electricity, yet, like Danny did with ice. And, none of them were entirely sure you _could_ make lightning-shapes, even if you were the most-skilled electricity-core in the world. But, they'd learned, long ago, that you don't declare anything impossible, until you absolutely _have_ to. And, even then, you just mark it down as a 'maybe'.

So, while Danny made ice-toys, and used his ecto-kinesis to fly them around under his bedroom ceiling's glow-in-the-dark stars, Ellie pretended the frozen space shuttles were at battle, and made it look like they were shooting each other with lightning and ecto-blasts.

Until Danny decided he didn't like her blowing up his weaker ships, and told her not to put mustard in his chocolate. Then, Ellie fired back that there weren't any mushrooms there, anyhow, and they both stormed off to opposite sides of the room.

That was okay, too, for a while. They both played quietly, for the most part. And, the girls joined them, hoping they would forget the (confusing) spat. But, then, Danny sneezed, and froze Ellie's teddy bear, and everything exploded in the three older girls' faces. (Literally.)

Ellie shot a bolt of electricity that nearly took Sam's head off, as Danny tried to apologize, ("Carolina pumpkin patches took all the jelly",) but the little ghost-girl wasn't having it. And, the next thing the three taller teens knew, both halfas had changed to their ghost forms, and the light-show that ensued was both spectacular and dangerous.

Or, it would've been dangerous, if you were a newbie. Thankfully, though, both of them were pretty weak, so they really weren't doing much more damage to the room, or each other, than The Box Ghost usually did.

It was kind of pathetic, actually.

"JAZZERINCESS!?" Jazz's father called from the bottom of the stairs.

 _||Oh, boy,||_ She thought, running out of the room, as Sam and Valerie tried to calm the noisy half-ghosts.

* * *

"Armadillo Propaganda!" Danny shouted, as Sam pinned his arms behind his back. He seemed to have forgotten his superpowers, again, but she wasn't complaining.

"Don't you butter my toupee!" Ellie shouted back, held by the Huntress, who was now in full (thankfully, electricity-proof) armor. The youngest had _not_ forgotten _her_ powers. In fact, the angrier she got, the more sparks began to fly. (Again, literally.)

* * *

"Uh... Yeah, Dad?" Jazz answered, leaning not-so-nonchalantly on the stair rail, trying to block the big man's view of Danny's room, since she'd neglected to close the door behind herself.

 ***Crash***

 ***Boom***

The redheaded teen tried to grin, innocently. It came out as more of a grimace.

"WHAT'S ALL THE COMMOTION, UP THERE?" Her father asked, confused. Then, he gasped and brightened. "IS IT A GHOST?"

 ***Clank***

 ***Smash***

 ***Bonk***

 ***Thud***

"Uh, no, Dad. It's-" Before she could stop him, the big man had sprinted up the stairs, oddly unarmed.

 ***Whoosh***

"NO!" Ellie shouted.

"AHH!" Danny nearly screamed.

"I'M A-COMIN', DANNY-BOY!" Jack shouted, running straight into his son's bedroom. He skidded to a halt, just inside the doorway, his daughter on his heels.

"Hey, Mr. Fenton," Sam said, sitting on the edge of the bed. She swung one leg back and forth under her, absently, as she filed her nails.

"Hey, Mr Fenton," Valerie echoed, lounging in Jazz's chair, holding one of the redhead's psychology books. She glanced down at it, then flipped it right-side-up. Both girls grinned up at their friends' father, innocently.

The man in the orange jumpsuit looked around, scratching his head. "WHAT WAS ALL THAT RUCKUS, BEFORE? AND, WHERE'S DANNY?"

"It was a computer game," Valerie said.

"He's in the bathroom," Sam answered, at the same time. The two glanced at each other quickly, from the corners of their eyes, then looked back at Mr. Fenton.

"AND, WHERE'S TUCKER? HAVEN'T SEEN HIM IN A FEW DAYS," He commented, as his daughter stood behind him, her eyes searching the room, frantically. The ice-toys had disappeared, though she assumed they had poofed into snow, like the ice from when her brother sneezed.

 _||But,_ _where_ _are the irritable-apparition twins?||_ Jazz was suddenly _very_ worried that the two had phased out of the room, and were running loose, somewhere.

"He's sick," Sam answered the big man, simply.

Jack seemed to think about it, for a moment. Jazz thought she could hear the halfas' voices, faintly, but couldn't pinpoint where they were coming from. Which did nothing to ease her fears. Thankfully, though, her father didn't seem to notice. "WELL, OKAY, THEN," He said, finally. "YOU KIDS HAVE FUN!" He grinned, heading back downstairs.

Jazz pushed the door shut behind him, leaning against it and breathing a sigh of relief. She took a deep breath, and smoothed her hair back. "...WHERE ARE THEY!?" She whisper-screamed, suddenly revealing her full-on panic.

"Calm down," Sam said. "They're right here."

"Right where?" Jazz looked around, seeing neither of them, but still able to hear them bickering. Sam held up the Fenton Thermos, while Valerie brandished her watch. Both of them grinned. "You-?" Jazz pointed at the Thermos.

"I, really, didn't have much choice," Sam explained.

"And, you-?" The redhead pointed to Valerie's square-faced accessory.

"It's electricity-proof," She shrugged. The older girl calmed, somewhat.

"Oh. Okay, then..." They all stood there, a few moments, listening to the delusional rantings coming from the small devices.

"You kidnapped my purple alligator, you traitorous Elephants!"

"Froggy stole the pillow factory, and built a red snowman! No more cantaloupe!"

"So... should we, like... let them out, or...?" Jazz asked, hesitantly.

* * *

In the end, it was agreed that the halfas needed a few minutes to cool off. It was safer, that way, for everyone.

The three girls sat, chatting fairly-civilly, (all things considered,) for about an hour. Valerie, finally, let Ellie out, when her ghost-detector went off, and she flew off, to catch The Box Ghost. Again.

At this point, though, Ellie was sound asleep, and no trouble, at all. Jazz tucked her into Danny's bed, then looked at Sam. "What?" The goth girl asked, after a moment of the staring.

Jazz glanced at the window Valerie had flown through. "You think she's really changed?"

Sam thought about it, a moment. "I don't know. I still don't trust her, but I'm not _opposed_ to her switching sides. As long as it's for real. Danny can use all the help he can get."

Jazz nodded, and the two decided to let the blue-eyed ghost-boy out. Having gotten his nap out at school, he returned to his spaceships, and Valerie returned a few minutes later. The three girls fell back into their previous conversation, as if it had never been interrupted.

"Why do you keep checking your watch?" Sam asked, suddenly, a few minutes later.

"I'm pretty sure there's a leak in this thing," Valerie explained, fiddling with one of the dials.

"What do you mean?" Jazz asked, lowering her book, and leaning forward.

"Pew! Pew! Pew! Angry mud-demons on deck 5!" Danny shouted, crashing a flying ice-spaceship into a flying ice-barn, complete with ice-farm-animals.

"Danny. _Daaanny_ ," The redhead called, softly, trying to get her brother's attention. The boy turned to her. "Shhhh. The little princess is sleeping. Remember?" She pointed to Ellie, and Danny's eyes widened, in realization.

"Shhhh," He nodded, holding a finger to his lips, then continued whisper-yelling his delusional, spaceship story.

"I've caught The Box Ghost, like, _twenty times_ , today. But, he keeps getting out," Valerie continued.

"Wow," Sam said. "I know he can be a problem, but we usually only have to catch him, like, _three_ or _four_ times a day." The Red Huntress leaned back in the desk chair, groaning.

"Wait," Jazz said, standing and grabbing Valerie's arm, to get a closer look at the watch. "I'm no professional, here, but doesn't The Box Ghost have complete control over all things square?"

"And, cardboard," Sam added, without thinking.

Valerie's expression went blank, then her forehead met the back of the desk chair she was straddling. Jazz turned the Huntress's wrist to show Sam the face of the device, and the Goth girl started cackling, falling onto the floor, as Valerie moped.

"Shhhhhhh!" Danny waved one arm around, wildly, the other holding a finger to his lips. He pointed to Ellie and shot Sam a disapproving glare. Now, Jazz and Valerie were laughing. "Princess Crayon's in alphabet daycare!" He whisper-screamed. The three older teens nodded, stifling their giggles at the boy's serious look, and the halfa went back to building... whatever it was he was building.

* * *

The whatever-it-was turned out to be an ice-castle, complete with turrets and tiny, horse-drawn carriages. It was, actually, pretty impressive, too. The tiny Junior had put incredible detail into it, and had even figured out how to trap little bits of ectoplasm inside the ice, so it looked like there were lights in the windows and on the torches. It even _flickered_ like fire. And, Sam would never understand how Danny had made the stained-glass depiction of a turkey leg, a turtle with a cannon on it's back, and an anthropomorphic frog with a sword, all in what seemed to be battle stances and princess dresses.

 _||Is that how he sees us, right now? Because, if it is, I am_ _so_ _glad I'm not the turkey leg,||_ Sam thought, as she made her toy ice-dragon beat up a banana soldier. (An ice-banana with arms, legs, and a face.)

 _||If anyone thinks ghosts aren't scary, they ought to try going toe-to-toe with a halfa's imagination, sometime.||_

By 7:30, the three older girls had actually joined in on the game, and helped overthrow the evil, fire-breathing, cantaloupe dictator three times. None of them would ever admit it, but maybe babysitting wasn't so bad.

Y'know, as long as the 'baby' didn't try to destroy your house...

Sam and Valerie sat, starting siege number four, as Jazz went to take a shower. Then, Valerie realized she was going to be late for dinner, and rushed to gather her things, bidding goodbye to Sam and 'General Danny', before heading home.

"Okay, 'General'," Sam started, sitting back down, and grabbing the little, blue dragon, with glowing, green ice-flames coming out of its mouth. It actually looked an awful lot like Dora. "What's our next mission?" She was almost excited to see where this would go, next.

"Kids, dinner'll be ready in a few-" Maddie stopped in the doorway, mouth hanging open. Sam was just glad none of the ice-toys were flying, at that moment.

"We can explain!" She shouted, panicked. She glanced around at the ice-sculptures littering the room, _praying_ that Mrs. Fenton didn't notice the tiny ghost-girl in her son's bed. "Iiit's-" She dragged out. "-for an art project?" It came out as more of a question, than an explanation. Just then, Jazz (apparently having heard the words 'I can explain',) skidded into the room, in her bathrobe.

"It's-" The mother started. "It's incredible!" She beamed, and turned to the goth girl. "Sam, I didn't know you were an artist!"

"Uh..." The vegan droned, unsure of what to do.

"Actually, Mom," Jazz said, smiling proudly. "Danny made these."

" _Danny_?" She looked at the smiling boy sitting in the floor. "Oh, Honey! They're beautiful!" She leaned down, kissing his head, and he beamed, sniffling. "Oh, Sweetie, are you getting sick?" She kissed his forehead, to check his temperature. "Nope. Cool as a cucumber." She kissed him several more times, and he giggled and squirmed, like a two-year-old.

"I guess it's just the pollen in the air," Jazz suggested.

"I guess so. Well, these really are amazing, Sweetheart," She said, petting her little boy's head again, before standing. "Dinner will be ready in a few. Are you staying, Sam?"

"Uh, no thanks, Mrs. Fenton. I've, actually, gotta get home, soon," She said, as nonchalantly as she could manage. Which wasn't much, as she was leaning to block the woman's view of Ellie.

"Oh. Well, alright, then." She turned to her daughter, who was creating a puddle on the floor, "And, Jazz, Dear, is that what you're wearing?"

The younger redhead looked down, then pulled her robe further closed and blushed. "No, no! I, uh... forgot my clothes in my bedroom," She said, quickly.

"Oh. Well, keep up the good work, my brilliant, little artist," She gushed to her son, one more time, before leaving the room. Both teenaged girls breathed a sigh of relief.

"...Did she seem... _cuddlier_ than usual?" Sam asked, after a moment. They looked at the halfa smiling in the floor, and the lipstick stains covering his face.

"Come to think of it," Jazz said, bringing a finger to her chin. "Yeah, actually. She did." They both leaned in, to look through the bedroom door, after the blue-jumpsuited woman. Then, they shook their heads. There were some things they would never understand, and Mrs. Fenton was filed neatly under several of them.

* * *

This was it. They couldn't avoid it any longer. After helping Sam sneak Ellie out the front door, Jazz brought her brother down the stairs for dinner.

The young redhead sat at the table, trying to eat her food casually, as she panicked inside. Danny was begging her to feed him, again. Thankfully, though, her parents couldn't be bothered to stop their work for something as trivial as food, and were both intensely focused on the inner-workings of the _BOO-ger_. So, she shoved a spoonful of spaghetti into her brother's mouth, before he could fight her on it and make the situation even weirder. The boy made a surprised noise, but seemed happy enough.

That is, until he reached for his big-boy glass and spilled milk all over himself. Again. "Danny!" Their mother shouted, surprised, as she looked up. "That's the second time, tonight. Are we going to have to get you a sippy-cup?" She said the last part jokingly, but Jazz was ready to take her up on the offer. Maddie stood to get some paper towels to help her son dry off.

"So, Jazzy-Pants, how're things going at the library?" Her father asked, mouth full, as he spattered the table around himself with food, his huge hands still busy with some pliers and a screwdriver.

"Uh, it's great, Dad. I really enjoy it. Plus, it gives me plenty of time to study." The young redhead nearly jumped out of her seat, as her mother walked up with paper towels and more milk for Danny. This time, it actually _was_ in a sippy-cup. One of their old Halloween ones, from when they were little.

It was shaped like a bed-sheet ghost.

"You'll get a normal glass back when your hands are steadier. Your castle was _beautiful_ , Sweetheart," She kissed him on the head, as he tipped the baby cup back for a drink. "But, you worked yourself too hard on it. Don't think I haven't noticed your sister having to feed you, because your hands are too shaky."

Jazz had never been so grateful to have such oblivious parents. Who else would just _hand_ her a plausible excuse, on a silver platter, like that?

"CASTLE?" Her father asked.

"Mhmm," The mother nodded, drying the front of her son's shirt. "Danny built it for his art project. It's really something," The proud mother smiled.

"COOL! MAYBE, AFTER DINNER, YOU CAN SHOW IT TO ME! EH, DANNY-BOY?" The big man said, enthusiastically. The blue-eyed ghost just smiled and sipped his milk.

* * *

Dinner had gone fairly smoothly, after that, since the Fenton parents had provided Jazz with an incredible excuse for Danny's behavior. Afterwards, Jack came up to Danny's room to see his ice-castle, and nearly cried with pride. "MY BOY, AN _ARTIST_!" He said, giving the boy one of his patented, life-threatening bear-hugs. (Plus a noogie, for good measure.)

Two minutes later, the big man was back in the lab, and Danny was back to playing with his ice-toys, while Jazz locked the door and set up the halfa-proof ghost-shield. She finally collapsed into her armchair, (which was looking like it might become a permanent fixture in her brother's room,) and breathed another sigh of relief.

She was just glad there had been no mention of turkey legs or socks.

* * *

 **AN: Oh, Danny :)**

 **Happy (belated) Valentine's Day, everybody! :)**

 **I'm really trying to speed this up, because I know it's been going kinda slow. But, I also have to keep it a little on the slow side, because I try to keep myself a buffer to write the next few chapters in. I can go weeks without getting anything done in this fic, and then write a few chapters in a matter of days. I don't want to post everything too quickly and have to go on hiatus :) But, thankfully, I've almost got the ending finished! I hope you guys like it :)**

 **Also, to make up for not posting Valentine's Day, next week's chapter is the longest one I've ever written! And, if I do say so, myself, I think I'm getting better at this writing thing :))**

 **Anywho, whether you had a date, Wednesday, or not, I hope your day was filled with nothing but love and goodness, and I hope you know that Jesus loves you, and so do I! *Heart emoji***

 **As always,  
God bless, and I hope you enjoyed! :)  
\- Ellie**


	27. 26: Quantum Of Scholars

**Chapter 26:**  
 **Quantum Of Scholars**

* * *

"Sammy-kins!"

The vegan girl groaned, shoving her pillow down over her ears. It was official. Sam was going to murder the person who decided that school should start at 7:30 in the morning. "Sammy-kins, you're going to be late!" Her overly-perky mother shouted, banging her tiny fist on the bedroom door. Sam lifted her head, looked at the clock, then, literally, jumped out of bed.

'Late' was an understatement, when you had to get _two_ cranky people up and dressed. Especially if one of those cranky people had superpowers and a history of destroying houses.

* * *

Jazz awoke in her armchair, to the sound of her phone going off. Refusing to open her eyes until it was absolutely necessary, she slapped at the dresser next to her, several times, before she finally got hold of the noisy device. "Hello," She answered, groggily, flipping it open.

"Jazz, where are you?"

"Sam?" She asked, rubbing the sleep from one eye and turning to look at her little brother, who was still awake, but was huddled under three blankets, shivering.

 _||Guess it's time for his medicine, again.||_

"Yes, 'Sam'! I'm already at Tucker's! We have to be at school in twenty minutes!"

"What!?" She dropped the phone, sprinting for the bathroom, but then skidded to a stop and ran back. "Okay, can one of you guys pack some kind of soup thermos - the non-ghost kind - for me, please? Thanks!" She said, quickly, before hanging up.

* * *

Sam stood in the Foleys' attic, next to Tucker, who'd been listening in on the call. The two teens looked at each other. "A soup thermos?" They asked, in unison.

"Marsha had that old, Kentucky smile, and that alligator style!" Ellie sang, banging on some random things she'd found and decided were drums. Tucker was _so_ glad his parents had already left for work.

* * *

"Gotta go! Gotta go! Gotta go!" Jazz muttered to herself, rushing to get Danny ready. She shoved a spoonful of medicine into his mouth, then a red sweater and a gray hoodie down over his head, before he could protest, or even swallow. The blue-eyed halfa was too tired and shocked to fight, and he gulped down the medicine so hard that his sister heard it from the other side of the room.

"Sofa clerk offered the taffy to a limousine."

"That's nice, Danny," she said, breathlessly, shoving his shoes onto the wrong feet, in her haste.

"Antelope orchestra canceled?" He asked, floating up off the edge of the bed.

"Oh, boy. That's so cool," She replied, frantically brushing her hair. She grabbed the hood of her brother's sweatshirt and ran down the stairs. Thankfully, he was already flying, so he just floated along behind her.

"Weee-oof!" He shouted, as she tugged him along like a balloon, then skidded to a halt by the refrigerator. He slammed into her back, landing halfway in the floor, dangling from his hood, but the redhead hardly noticed. Then, she dropped him the rest of the way, and grabbed the sippy-cup from the night before, filling it with orange juice. "Polka-dots," Danny whined, reaching for the drink.

"Here ya go." She handed it to him, and he was content to be dragged along, sipping his juice.

* * *

Jazz snatched up her purse and her brother's backpack, and headed for the front door, dragging Danny along behind her. The boy smiled, holding one of his ghost-cup's arm-handles, with one hand. With the other, he waved goodbye to the two ghost-hunters, on the other side of the room. They gaped at him, and Jack waved back, weakly, as the coffee Maddie had been pouring herself started to overflow onto the table.

 ***Slam***

They heard the door crash shut, as their daughter ran out, causing their coffee to slosh, and a picture hanging in the upstairs hallway to fall.

"...I wonder how often this sort of thing happens..." Maddie said, after a few moments.

"IF IT'S MORE THAN ONCE A WEEK, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE MISSED IT," Jack replied, almost-numbly.

* * *

"Porcelain totem poles in the Indigo Valley!" Danny sang into his kaleidoscope-microphone.

"Last time I take a donkey from a man on a unicycle!" Ellie added, still playing her 'drums'.

"Okay, Danny, we need to go, now," Jazz urged, sweetly. For the tenth time.

"Loopholes in the sky, with Dodgers fans!" Ellie sang.

"Argh! Enough of this!" Sam growled, grabbing Danny's arm, and pulling him towards the door.

"No!" Ellie shouted, diving to grab one of the older halfa's feet. "Tandem bikes told the ring master to wash the car!" She pulled against the goth girl.

"Oh, yeah? Well, french fries ate the king of Cleveland, and shot a mongoose from a cannon!" Sam fired back, without missing a beat, pulling harder. Through all of this, Jazz and Tucker just stood there, staring. There was, really, nothing else to do.

"Ghost flies don't bother me!" The tiny halfa countered, yanking at Danny's pant-leg.

"Portuguese giraffes don't even _like_ licking llamas!" Sam argued.

"Corduroy pillowcases are making headlines!" Tucker interjected, grinning proudly. The other four just stared at him.

"Hit him, for me," The goth said, turning to the redhead. She did.

"OW!" The techno-geek whined, rubbing the back of his head.

"Chicken Teeth," Ellie finally said, tugging Danny's leg, again, and glaring at Sam.

"Chickens don't _have_ teeth," Sam glared back. The little girl's eyes widened, and her lower lip started to tremble. Then, she let go of Danny's leg, sat down in the floor, and started crying. Suddenly, the three mentally-stable members of Team Phantom felt kind of guilty.

"Princess Crayon," Danny whimpered, reaching for her.

"Monkey-Man," Ellie wailed, reaching back.

Suddenly, Tucker mock-gasped, grabbing something off the computer desk and running over to the little girl. "Ellie, Ellie," He knelt in front of her. "Look," He held out the thing in his hand, which turned out to be the girl's abused dolly. The poor thing was covered in make-up, crayons, what Tucker fervently _hoped_ was chocolate, and anything else the girl had been able to get her hands on, within the previous few days. "Carrie Mason needs a hug," He said, jutting out his lower lip. "And, so does Mr. Fluffy," He reached for her.

She took the doll, cuddling it, and let Tucker pick her up, rocking her back and forth. After a moment, the teal-eyed boy turned to his friends. "You guys, go on. I think I got this," He smiled softly. The two older girls nodded, quietly, and left, tugging Danny along behind them.

* * *

"Mr. Fluffy?" Jazz finally asked, as Sam shut the Foleys' front door.

"I don't even wanna know," The dark-haired girl replied, reaching into her bag and tossing something to the redhead. The older girl caught it, but had to let go of Danny to do so. "There's your thermos," The goth said, grabbing the halfa's hood, again, yanking him back, as he tried to chase a passing butterfly into the street.

"Marzipan," Danny grumbled, watching the tiny creature change direction and flitter around, overhead.

"Huh? Oh, yeah!" Jazz said, remembering. "Thanks! So, what'd you put in it?" She opened the lid to look.

"I didn't put anything in it. You said to get a non-ghost, soup thermos, so that's what I got. By the way, Tucker's mom's probably gonna want that back."

"What!? Sam! What good is an empty soup thermos!?"

"I don't know! You're the one who asked me to get it!"

"You should've known what I meant!"

"Oh! So, now, it's _my_ fault that you can't be more specific!?"

* * *

Valerie put in the code to her locker, grabbed her things, and shut the door to find Jazz and Sam staring at her. Danny was behind them, from the looks of it, trying to hug the ceiling tiles.

"Uh... What's up?" She asked, carefully. Though, she wasn't really sure she wanted to know.

" _Hypothetically_ , if someone asked you to bring a soup thermos to school, would you, or would you not, fill it with soup, before you brought it?" Jazz asked, innocently.

"You mean, like, the ghost-catching kind of thermos, or-"

"Nope. Specifically the 'non-ghost' kind of thermos," Sam clarified, putting air-quotes around 'non-ghost'.

"If someone asked me to bring a non-ghost, soup thermos to school?" She asked, slowly.

"Yes," The goth and the redhead answered, in unison. (Something they were doing more and more often, lately.)

"Then, I guess I would bring it empty, unless they told me to bring something in it," The Huntress answered, carefully.

"Hah! Told you!" Sam gloated.

"Whatever," Jazz scoffed, folding her arms.

"Uh, guys? Where's Danny?" Valerie asked, noticing the definite lack of delusional ghost-boys in the hall.

 _||Not that him vanishing should really be a surprise, considering he can turn invisible.||_

" _What_?" The other girls asked, suddenly panicked. They turned to where the boy had been behind them, then back to each other. "You were supposed to be watching him! I _was_! No you weren't, otherwise he'd still _be_ here! Stop saying what I'm saying!"

"Okay, guys. Let's just calm down. It's been, what, ten seconds? He _can't_ have gotten very far, right?"

Sam grabbed the Huntress' shoulders, staring directly into her eyes, to ensure she got her point across. "Valerie, when we clocked him, last week, he could fly two hundred and thirty-three miles per hour. _Plus_ , he can fly _through_ walls, _invisibly_ , for an indefinite amount of time," She whispered, panicked. The three girls paled, as that sunk in.

"I'll take the east half of the school!" Jazz declared.

"I've got the west!" Sam added.

"I'll check outside!" Valerie volunteered.

* * *

 ***Click***

The single light in the small room buzzed on.

"Okay, Danny," Mikey said, before Clark pushed him out of the way. Not that there really was an 'out of the way' in the tiny AV closet. All it really did was cause the shortest geek to hit his head on a shelving unit, but Clark did the best he could. Danny looked around, seemingly amazed with the wires and computer parts strewn about the room, but the three geeks feared it was just a coping mechanism.

"What did they do to you. We understand if it's too painful to talk about," Clark looked on the verge of tears again, as Lester pulled him back, giving the blue-eyed boy some space. Danny just stared at them, confused.

* * *

"Come on, Danny. Where are you?" Valerie wondered aloud, flying around the outside of the school.

The bell rang. She didn't stop.

* * *

"Please, Danny," Mikey begged. "If they're threatening you, we can protect you."

Lester looked at the short boy's unimpressed expression, then at his and his friends' own unimpressive physiques. "Well, we _know_ some people who can protect you," He corrected.

The bell rang, but none of the boys moved.

* * *

"Not in the science lab," Sam muttered to herself, running from room to room. "Not in math class. Not in the boys' room. Not in the girls' room, either."

* * *

"Just, _please_ , tell us you're not _involved_ in this," Clark begged, hysterically, shaking Danny by his shoulders. The ghost-boy turned said shoulders intangible, phasing out of the green-eyed geek's grip. The boys gasped, and Clark shivered at the feeling. Danny tried to back away, but hit a wall. He was about to phase through it, too, when Lester and Mikey pulled their friend back.

As far as the Geek Squad was concerned, this confirmed their theories. Though, for once, none of them could say they were happy about it. "How could anyone _do_ such a thing!?" The dark-haired geek finally cried.

* * *

"Not in the cafeteria," Jazz said, using the same check-every-room method as Sam. "Not in the library. Not in the gym. Not in the band room. Not in th- Oh, Hiiii, Ms. Tetslaff," She dragged out, skidding to a halt, nearly running into the woman. "I was just... looking for my brother. I think he's got my phone," She pointed down the hall, and sprinted off in that direction, before the surprised gym teacher could respond.

* * *

Mikey's hands were on Clark's shoulders, as he walked his friend out of the AV closet and towards homeroom. Lester stayed behind a moment, standing in the doorway. He sighed, placing his own hand on Danny's shoulder. "Just... know that you can come to us... Okay?" He met the smaller teen's blue eyes, before letting his hand fall away and heading after his friends.

* * *

"Why, oh, why, did I ever get myself involved with _ghosts_?" The Huntress asked herself, searching the ground below for any signs of her short, possibly half-dead friend. (She still hadn't built up the nerve to ask about that, and didn't think it would be wise, until the others were a little less suspicious of her.) Then, she remembered the boy could fly, and started scanning over the clouds.

 ***Beep-Beep-Beep***

"Oh, for the love of-"

"I AM THE BOX GHOST!"

"AND, _I_ AM GOING TO COMMIT ECTO-CIDE!" She shouted, going after the flying, blue man.

People on the other end of town heard Boxy's screams of terror.

* * *

The Geek Squad made it back to class, ten minutes late. "Mr. Reuben, Mr. Holloway, Mr. Schwartz, good to see you three could make it," Mr. Lancer said, sending Lester strange looks. The three boys apologized, quickly, and went to take their seats.

"Mr. Lancer, may I be excused?" Kwan asked, raising his hand. The boy looked a bit desperate.

The teacher sighed. "Very well, Mr. Li, but hurry back." Kwan rushed out, and the man pinched the bridge of his nose, fighting back his oncoming headache.

* * *

 _||That buffalo is_ _really_ _emotional,||_ Danny thought, as he wandered down the now-empty hall. He jumped, startled, and fell backwards to sit on the floor when he was nearly run over by Clothespin, who sprinted into one of the nearby rooms.

He stood and followed him inside to find a giant, green hippo, with a diamond in its mouth. "Go ahead, Danny. Take it. It's all yours. A small gift, to repay you for all that you do," The hippo said, kindly.

 _||I didn't know hippos were telepathic,||_ He thought, realizing that the hippo's mouth never moved when she spoke.

* * *

"Not with Lancer. Not with Hamilton. Not with- OH, MY-!" Sam ducked behind a locker, slapping a hand over her own mouth to keep herself from shouting, as the people on the other end of the hall turned in her direction.

Then, she took a deep breath and ran past, pretending she hadn't seen anything.

* * *

Kwan breathed a sigh of relief, walking out of the stall. Then, he stopped dead, when he saw something in the mirror.

There, in the Casper High boys' room, Danny Phantom had his head in the trashcan. The ghost pulled away, suddenly, paper towels and plastic wrappers falling on the floor and clinging to his hair and suit. He plopped down in the floor, gazing dreamily at the prize he'd fished out of the green, plastic tub.

* * *

"It's beautiful," Danny breathed, holding the object aloft, so the light could hit it. "Thank you, Esmeralda. And, my deepest gratitude to all of your people. I will treasure it, always," He beamed at his new friend, nearly tearing up at the great honor the hippos had bestowed upon him.

* * *

"Shiny, cornucopia light bulbs." Kwan just stood there, dazed, as the ghost in the floor babbled away. "Dolphin armor is the most _wonderful_ hairbrush."

 _||He's a lot smaller, up close,||_ The linebacker thought, as the little ghost gasped and oohed at the tiny piece of metal he'd fished out of the trash.

 _||And, what's so great about a soda can tab?||_

* * *

"Not in the - Oh. _Duh_ ," Jazz said, skidding to a halt in the middle of the hallway, and smacking herself on the forehead. She pulled out her cell phone.

* * *

Tucker looked up from the video game Ellie was playing, when he heard an 8-bit version of a certain, ghostly theme song playing, somewhere in his bedroom. He stood, retrieving the phone, surprised it even worked. "No, you gotta jump _over_ the barrels, Ellie - Oh, just do whatever you want."

He'd found one of the simpler ones for her, hoping to keep her interest, without going too far over her head, but she still kept dying. Though, the sound of her cackling, every time the 'dying' noise played, made him suspect that she _might_ have been doing it on purpose.

He flipped the phone open. "Y'ello?"

" _Tucker?_ "

"Jazz?"

"Why do you have Danny's phone?"

"Because it got smashed, when he took on Technus, Friday. And, your parents said he was grounded for a month, if he lost another cell phone, so he asked me to fix it... Why?"

"Well, I was kinda hoping he had it on him."

" _Why_?"

"...No reason. Gotta go, bye!" She said, quickly, before hanging up. Tucker stared at the tiny screen for a moment, before shrugging and making his way back to the little girl with the controller.

"Die, melon scum!" She said, running the character into another barrel. "Yes! Zimbabwe monkeys attack the wallet bowlers!" She shouted, then cackled, maniacally, as the little man on the screen spun in the air.

 _||Why does nearly every girl I know have anger issues?||_

* * *

Dash was sitting in homeroom, trying not to be bored to death, when his phone vibrated. He sneaked a look at the screen.

 _ **Kwan: need ur help. emrgncy. hrry.**_

"Mr. Lancer, can I be excused?" He raised his hand, not waiting for the teacher to call on him.

The teacher sighed, again. "Fine," He motioned to the door. "Why doesn't everyone just go? ... _Sideways Stories from Wayside School_! Not really!" He corrected, as several students eagerly grabbed their bags.

"Awwww!" The room chorused, disappointed.

* * *

"Kwan, where are you even at?" Dash half-whispered into his phone. He may have been practically-immune to punishment, (for most things, at least,) but he really didn't feel like pushing his luck, right then.

"I'm in the bathroom."

"Dude-"

"Just get over here, quick!" He hung up. If this wasn't worth it, Dash was, totally, going to kill him. But, at least, it had gotten him out of class.

He headed for the closest boys' room, walking in. "WHAT!?" The blond jock screamed, looking at his hero, sitting in the floor, covered in trash.

"See? I told you it was an emergency," Kwan said. "Now, help me make sure nobody comes in here. I think he's, like, delusional, or something."

Dash nodded, numbly, and moved to set the trashcan in front of the door. "NO! ESMERALDA!" Phantom cried, reaching for the bin.

"Already tried that," Kwan deadpanned. "I think he's in love with it."

"Then, what am I _supposed_ to do!?"

"I dunno, man!"

"Cranberry satellites yield no carbon," Phantom said, almost-scoldingly. The two boys looked at him, and he sniffled.

* * *

"YOU MAY HAVE WON THIS ROUND, BUT THE MIGHTY BOX GHO-" Said ghost was cut off, when The Red Huntress grabbed his shirt collar, before he could exit dramatically.

"Alright, Boxy," Valerie said, her face mask pressed against his nose. "Have you seen Phantom, anywhere?"

He blinked. "Uh, _duh_ ," He said, suddenly a lot calmer, now that he had something to snark about. "He's got a _core cold_. How could you _not_ notice him?"

"I know _that_ ," She growled. "Have you seen him, within the last ten minutes?" She reiterated. The ghost seemed to think about it.

"Uhhhh... No."

"All I needed to hear," She said, pulling out the thermos she'd borrowed from Jazz, until she could make her watch less square.

"WAIT, WAIT, WAIT!" He shouted, waving his hands in front of himself. "THE GREAT BOX GHOST CAN HELP YOU TO LOCATE THE GHOST-CHILD!"

"...I'm listening."

* * *

The two football players finally decided to take turns blocking the door, themselves. Dash took the first turn, while Kwan tried to talk to the ghost sitting on the floor.

"So, Phantom, what happened to you? Did you, like, hit your head, or something?" He turned to his friend. "Can ghosts get concussions?"

"How should _I_ know?"

"Polka-dots," Phantom sniffled, again. The other two turned to look at him, and Dash nearly fell forward, as someone slammed against the other side of the door. He pushed his back against it, readying himself.

"Hey! Occupado!" He shouted, when they tried again. He pulled the door open a crack, to see who it was. " _Manson!?_ This is the _guys'_ room!"

"Whatever. Is Danny in there?" She asked, folding her arms.

"Pft. Buzz off. I haven't seen Fen-twerp, all day. And, besides, isn't he _your_ jurisdiction?" Dash could practically _hear_ the goth girl fuming. He really didn't want to mess with her, again, but he had to protect Phantom, and her best friend's parents were _ghost-hunters_.

* * *

"Danny?" Sam asked, peeking into one of the lockers that hadn't been closed all the way. She ran down the halls, checking lockers, trashcans, classrooms, and anywhere else the ghost-boy could, _possibly_ , be. She went for the boys' room, just to bounce off the door and land on her behind. Standing quickly, she tried, again.

"Hey! Occupado!" Dash shouted from inside. He peeked out. " _Manson!?_ This is the _guys'_ room!"

"Whatever. Is Danny in there?" She folded her arms, glaring the boy down. If he was bullying someone, in there...

"Pft. Buzz off. I haven't seen Fen-twerp, all day. And, besides, isn't he _your_ jurisdiction?" She fumed for a moment, before giving up. She had more important things to deal with.

So, she hurried away. Homeroom ended in five minutes, and the halls would be swarming.

* * *

Danny sat, watching Red Ducky and Clothespin argue. He wasn't sure what kind of ties they had to the Banana Kingdom, but he was pretty sure he'd just been captured and was going to be bargained off to the enemy. The only real question was whether Esmeralda was in on it, but that question had been answered when Clothespin assaulted her. How could he have ever doubted such a kind, lady hippo.

Red Ducky tried the same thing, when he arrived, until Danny screamed for the poor hippo-lady, and Clothespin informed Red Ducky that those type of threats wouldn't be enough to crack him. Then, Clothespin had actually had the audacity to imply that Danny was in _love_ with her. She was nice enough, but he hardly knew the woman.

"I will never betray my friends!" He declared, then sniffed. He wished he didn't have to fight a war with a stuffy nose. Clothespin tried to interrogate him, but got sidetracked, talking about ghosts. Danny hadn't even been sure the people of this world _knew_ about ghosts, but he guessed that settled it. "I wish I had some more of that yummy liquid stuff Turkey Leg gave me, this morning," The halfa said, more to himself, than anything. Suddenly, his musings were interrupted by someone trying to get in.

 _||My new allies must've noticed my disappearance, and sent reinforcements,||_ He concluded. He watched the two Banana-sympathizers, as they argued with the person on the other side of the door, and realized they weren't watching him.

 _||Of course! They're creating a distraction! Those of the Banana Kingdom know nothing of my ghostly abilities! This is my chance!||_ He thought, resisting the urge to say something witty, as he phased backwards through the wall behind him.

He landed on his back, staring at the ceiling, and changed back to his human form. He looked to his left, and saw Froggy running in the opposite direction. He tried to cry out to her, but his throat was too dry, and it came out as more of a squeak.

He was too sleepy and snotty to run, so he stood, slowly. It was a lot harder than he remembered, and he nearly fell several times. He couldn't figure out why his feet hurt so bad, but, looking at them, he figured it was probably because Turkey Leg had put them on backwards, that morning.

* * *

"Pft. Can you believe her?" Dash asked, turning to his best friend.

"I know, right? Who does Manson think she is? Right, Phantom?" They turned to where the ghost-boy had been sitting, just moments before.

"AHH!" Both boys screamed, looking at the now-empty space by the trashcan. "AHH!" They screamed again, looking at each other.

"Where'd he go!?" Kwan panicked.

"I don't know! _You_ were supposed to be watching him!" Dash said, fingers pulling at his hair in anxiety.

"I _was_ , right up until Manson tried to tear the door down!"

The warning bell rang for first period. "AHH!" They screamed, again.

"Dude, what're we gonna do!?"

"I don't know!"

* * *

Danny had just gotten his sea-legs back, somewhat, when Red Ducky came sprinting down the hallway towards him. The halfa tried to prepare himself for battle, but the traitor didn't even recognize him, in his human form. "Outta the way, Fentina!" He shouted, pushing past. Poor Danny landed on his ghostly rear-end, for the second time, in as many minutes.

After climbing back to his feet, _again_ , Danny started stumbling in the direction Froggy had gone, thankful that Red Ducky had gone down a different corridor. He had just rounded the corner, when his ears were bombarded by that same loud noise that he'd been hearing every few minutes since he'd arrived in this strange world. Then, behind him, he heard the sounds of Red Ducky coming back, and Clothespin coming from the other direction.

He looked around, frantically, for a hiding place, but found nothing. Finally, he phased through one of the walls, hoping there weren't any Banana soldiers on the other side, waiting to attack.

* * *

The warning bell rang for first period, and several students in Lancer's classroom gathered their things, while others stayed put, since they had English next, anyway. "Mr. Schwartz, may I speak to you?"

"Of course, Mr. Lancer," The redhead replied, glancing at his friends and walking over to the man's desk. Clark and Mikey stayed by the door, just out of earshot, as the three had planned the night before. They were more than moral support, right then. They were evidence.

Well, Clark was.

"Lester," The teacher started, taking a deep breath. "You weren't skipping, again. Were you?" That simple question held so much hope for a 'no' that Lester wished what he was about to say was _real_ honesty, and not a carefully-prepared series of truths. But, he had to do this. Too much was at stake. Mr. Lancer would understand, if he knew the whole story.

"Uh, no, sir. Absolutely not." _Technically_ , it wasn't a lie. The Geek Squad had been _willing_ to skip, if it had come to that. But, for all they'd known, their little chat with Danny was only going to make them late. Being intentionally late, wasn't the same as skipping. Right? "Clark's been going through a... personal crisis," He gave his pre-prepared explanation, carefully, glancing at his slightly-unstable friend. "Mike and I were just trying to help him through it."

"Oh, dear," The teacher said, glancing at the boy, himself. "I'd noticed he'd been a bit emotional, but I thought it was just over yesterday. Is it anything I can help with?"

"No, sir. It's actually about a friend of ours, we've been worried about. But, we talked to him, and told him we were there for him. Now, I think it's just a matter of waiting to see what happens," He clarified. Still, technically, not a lie.

"Would you mind if I asked who this friend was? What the problem is? Is it one of _my_ students?" The teacher pressed, concerned.

"Uh... I don't think I should say anything, just yet. Not until we have something more concrete. We know _something_ 's going on, but the details are mostly speculation, until he decides to tell us more."

 _||Man, this lying-without-technically-lying thing is_ _way_ _harder than it looks on TV.||_

The teacher looked at him a moment, before placing a hand on his shoulder. "Alright. You've told your friends that _you'll_ be there for _them_. Just remember that _I'll_ be here for _all of you_. All you have to do is ask."

"Thanks, Mr. Lancer," He smiled. Turning back towards Mike and Clark, the smile dropped, replaced by a determined scowl. It was time for Phase 2.

* * *

"So, you can just _feel_ when another ghost is around?"

"Pretty much," Boxy nodded, somewhat-distractedly.

"That's it?"

" _What's_ it? THE BOX GHOST'S POWER IS INCREDIBLE!"

"Ugh! I wasted my time on _this_? I _have_ a ghost detector, but it won't pick up if Danny's in hi-" The Huntress cut herself off.

 _||Wow, Val. You confirmed his secret identity less than twenty-four hours ago, and you've already almost blown it? That's gotta be some kind of record.||_

"What? While he's in his human form?" The ghost scoffed. "Of _course_ , not. YOUR HUMAN GHOST-DETECTION DEVICE IS A MERE _COPY_ OF AN ACTUAL, GHOSTLY ABILITY! IT COULD _NEVER_ MATCH UP TO A _REAL_ GHOST'S POWER! ESPECIALLY, THE AWESOME MIGHT OF... **THE BOX GHOST!** "

"Wait! You _know_ about Danny!?"

"Uh, _yeah_. _Everyone_ in the Ghost Zone knows about the halfa."

"Halfa?"

"Half a human, halfa a ghost," He sniffed. "It is a technical term. I would not expect the likes of you to understand."

"Right. And, you can sense Danny, even in his human form?"

"Of course. THE MIGHTY BOX GHOST CANNOT BE FOOLED BY THE GHOST-CHILD'S HUMAN DISGUISE!"

"Disguise? So he's, like, more ghost than human, or- Nope. Not the time for that," She stopped herself, restrengthening her grip on the ghost's shirt. "So, you can take me to Danny, right?"

"I _could_. What would be in it for me?" She held her ecto-gun to his temple in answer. "HAVING CONSIDERED YOUR GENEROUS OFFER, THE GREAT BOX GHOST HAS DECIDED TO LEND YOU HIS POWER, IN LOCATING THE HALFA! **I AM THE BO-AAH!** " He was cut off by his own shriek, as Valerie yanked his collar, again. "Ow! That really hurts!" He whined.

"So, how do we find him?"

"THE BOX GHOST SIMPLY NEEDS TO BE IN THE VICINITY OF THE GHOST-CHILD, AND HE WILL KNOW," He said, crossing his arms, and tipping his nose up, haughtily.

"So, fly you around the school?"

"Yeah. Pretty much."

"Okay," She said, slyly. Boxy screamed, as the Huntress flew, full-speed, around the building.

" **WAIT**!" She skidded to a halt, and the ghost struck his head against the side of her hoverboard.

"What!?"

"THE BOX GHOST'S INCREDIBLY ADVANCED SENSES TELL HIM THAT THE GHOST-CHILD IS IN THAT DIRECTION," He pointed to one of the classroom windows with one hand, rubbing his newly-formed goose-egg with the other. Valerie flew down, looking inside.

"Where is he? I don't see him! If this was some kind of trick-" She stopped, mid-threat, when Boxy stiffened, and she could suddenly see his breath. It curled out of the annoying ghost's ever-moving mouth, in a pale, blue mist.

"THERE!" He shouted, pointing to one of the science lab's supply lockers.

The locker that Mr. Watson was headed towards, with his keys.

"...Oh, boy."

* * *

Mr. Watson muttered the list of things he needed for class to himself, in his still-empty classroom, as he unlocked the door to one of the science lab's supply cabinets. "Lithium chloride, strontium nitrate... Oh, potassium," He said, as he fumbled his keys. He started back, after retrieving them from under a desk. "Sodium chloride, calcium chloride... BORAX!" He screamed the last one, his voice cracking, indignantly.

There, in his supply cabinet, completely unfazed by the fact that the shelves were _severing his body in several places_ , was Danny Fenton. "Armadillo!" The poor man fainted.

* * *

Danny had decided that he did **not** like the place he had phased himself into. It was cramped, and it smelled funny. Almost like his Mommy and Daddy's lab. But, he could hear someone talking outside, so he figured he should stay put. _At least_ , until he knew if they were friend or foe.

Of course, his plans almost never went the way he hoped they would, and, after getting closer, then going away, then coming back, the owner of the voice did the unthinkable.

He opened the wall that Danny was hiding inside.

"BORAX!" The giant, talking armadillo screamed, maxing out the boy's super-hearing.

"Armadillo!" Danny screamed back, covering his poor, abused listening-holes. The noisy creature fell down, and the halfa looked up to find a red kangaroo and a blue grizzly bear floating outside.

The two creatures opened the window and floated in. "There you are," The kangaroo said, as though she knew him. He wondered a moment if she did.

Then, the kangaroo thanked the grizzly bear.

Then, the kangaroo sucked the grizzly bear into a green and silver thingy, while the grizzly bear complained.

 _Then_ , the kangaroo magically transformed herself into one of his allies! Danny could hardly believe it!

* * *

"Turtle Tank!" Danny shouted, running to give Valerie a hug.

"Danny," She smiled, returning the embrace. "You had us all worried, there, Shrimpy," She said, mussing his hair, before reaching for her cell phone. "Sam, I found him... Science lab... 'Kay. Oh, and you might wanna bring the nurse..." She glanced down at the teacher on the floor. "No, he's fine. But, he, kinda, traumatized Mr. Watson... Fainted... Mhmm... Yeah. See ya, then." She shut the phone, and turned back to the halfa. "So, what've _you_ been up to, mister?" She sat him on the edge of a desk, and began checking him over for injuries. "And, why are your shoes on the wrong feet?"

* * *

Sam and Jazz nearly ran head-first into each other, twenty seconds later, just outside the classroom. They fought to get through the door at the same time, falling onto the tile, and landing in a tangle of their own limbs. "Danny!" They cried, scrambling up and running to grab the little half-ghost. "Don't you ever scare me like that, again!" They shouted, still in unison. But, by this point, they were too relieved to care.

"How'd you find him?" Jazz asked, turning to Valerie. "Oh, and the nurse was just behind me, so make it quick," She jabbed her thumb toward the doorway.

The Huntress pulled out the thermos, giving it a shake. "Apparently, Boxy can sense Danny's presence, even in human form," She shrugged. "Who knew?"

"Ah," Both girls replied, again.

"That explains a lot, actually. And, Watson?" Sam asked, looking at the teacher.

"Opened a cabinet to find Danny standing inside, and passed out. I'm pretty sure we can convince him it was a dream, though. How else do you explain a student having multiple solid objects stuck through his torso, then showing up, ten minutes later, completely fine?"

"You'd be surprised," Sam smirked, thinking back to when Danny had gotten his head stuck in the floor.

 _||Was that_ _really_ _only four days ago? It seems like so much longer than that.||_

Hearing the nurse fussing at someone about running in the halls, Sam and Valerie quickly ushered Danny out the door, leaving Jazz to deal with the nurse and the unconscious 'armadillo'. They stayed nearby, though. Partially to help Jazz, (aka 'the worst liar on Team Phantom',) partially to watch the show that they both knew was sure to come, and partially because Sam and Danny had science next, anyhow. (Though, with Mr. Watson in his current condition, it was looking like the class might get called off.)

 _||Oh, well. It'll just get blamed on ghosts, anyhow. It always is,||_ Sam thought, mentally shrugging. She looked over at the blue-eyed teen chugging orange juice from his ghost sippy-cup.

 _||Only, this time, it's technically true.||_

* * *

 **AN: Okay. Now** ** _this one_** **might be my favorite :) Told ya it'd be a long one :D**

 **Hey, everybody! :)**

 **I know I said this story was going to get strange, but this is surprising even me... And, God blessed me to write this incredibly long and confusing chapter :)) It took, like, a day and a half, plus a TON of editing, and I hope you guys liked it :)**

 **I do not own the L.A. Dodgers, Or** ** _Sideways Stories from Wayside School_** **by Louis Sachar. Obviously.**

 **By the way, has anyone noticed I've been using plays on titles for spy movies and the like, for chapter titles, ever since the geeks started playing secret agents? Because, I've had way too much fun coming up with those, lol :)**

 **As always,  
God bless, and I hope you enjoyed! :)  
\- Ellie**


	28. 27: Our Man Fenton

**Chapter 27:**  
 **Our Man Fenton**

* * *

Valerie made her way back to Lancer's room. He was _not_ going to be happy with her for skipping. But, at least, it was just homeroom.

"Miss Gray, glad to see you could be bothered to show up, today," The teacher never looked up from the papers on his desk, as the girl came in and took her seat.

Class got started, and he passed around the test several students had forgotten about. As the kids around her went through various stages of panic, the Huntress just stared at the page before her, blankly, silently wondering if the English test was even _in_ English.

 _||I'm so dead, I'm a ghost.||_ She turned the page, hoping to find something she could work with. But, this one was _worse_.

 _||You can't even bury me, I'm too far gone. I've already decomposed.||_ The girl next to her began sobbing. Valerie was pretty sure they had never gone over any of this material. Not that she would know, she missed so much of the class.

 _||That's right. This is Box Ghost's fault, not mine,||_ She thought, almost-hopefully, but she knew that excuse wouldn't fly. She glanced at the teacher. He was leaned back against the white board, arms folded over his chest, a coffee mug in one hand that read, '"I would challenge you to a battle of wits, but I see you are unarmed" - William Shakespeare'. He watched over his distraught class with all the smugness and audacity of a cartoon villain.

Looking back at the test, Val realized that, _no_ , they _hadn't_ gone over any of this material, before. Apparently, Mr. Lancer was tired of ditchers, and wanted to teach them all a lesson of a different sort.

* * *

Thankfully, (though, not unpredictably,) science class had been called off, while Mr. Watson recovered. So, now, Sam sat in the library, doing absolutely nothing to help her redheaded friend deal with her ghostly little brother. She watched, amused, as Jazz tried to refill Danny's sippy-cup with a bottle she'd gotten from a vending machine, without spilling it, as said ghost-boy whined and tried to take the cup away from her.

At least, that what Sam _was_ doing, until she noticed Clark Reuben glaring at her over top of an encyclopedia, (which was so big she was surprised he could lift it,) from the other side of the room. She glanced around, again, checking to see if he was looking at someone behind her, for the second time, in as many days. And, again, when she turned back, the strange Junior was gone.

 _||That was_ _definitely_ _ **not**_ _the look you give to someone you have a crush on. What could I have possibly done to make Clark mad at me?||_ She wondered, absently.

 _||Unless, maybe he_ _does_ _have a crush on me, and when I sort-of ignored him, yesterday, it hurt his feelings,||_ She thought, slightly guilty. Clark was a nice kid. She didn't want to hurt him. She hoped he was just spacing out about some geek thing, and she'd misinterpreted the entire situation. That was one of the things boys did a lot, right?

She was about to consult Jazz on it, when she heard the redhead whisper-shout, "Victory!" She looked over to find her holding the sippy-cup over her head, triumphantly, as Danny whined more and reached for it. He looked like he was trying to fly up to grab it, but, thankfully, his sister had brought a pair of Mr. Fenton's ghost-proof suspenders with them. One end was around Danny's waist, and the other under Jazz's foot.

"Pogo sticks on mars took the polka-dots for a marching band gang."

"Here ya go," She passed the cup to her brother, who hastily began to drain it. "Thanks for the help," She snarked, half-glaring at Sam.

"Any time," The goth girl grinned back.

* * *

After realizing that Sam was looking at him, _again_ , Clark waited for her to look away, and made a break for the computer section of the library. He mentally kicked himself. It's really where he should've been from the start. He could still see the strange group from there, plus he could get a head-start on the Squad's research.

Of course, there were some things the three boys wouldn't be able to do from the school computer. It wasn't powerful enough. But, they also couldn't do it from their own computers. That would be too dangerous and possibly-incriminating. But, there were a few things he _could_ do, while he waited for math to start.

He pulled out his 'spy notebook', from the secret pocket in his backpack, and opened up a search browser.

 **Searchmo! The World's most unoriginal search engine!**  
 **Type in your query!**

 **GIW |_**

* * *

Valerie's head hit her locker door with an echo-ey thud. After ten minutes of letting them sweat, Mr. Lancer had pulled out the _real_ tests, passing them out, and lecturing the whole class about the importance of punctuality, preparation, and attendance. He had made an impression.

She was still going to skip, whenever a ghost was around, but he _had_ made an impression. Maybe she and the others could take turns, once Danny was better. If she, Sam, Tucker, Danny, and Jazz were all on the case, they wouldn't miss nearly as much. And, even though some ghosts would need more than one of them, she was pretty sure they could all handle The Box Ghost, on their own.

 _||Heck,_ _Mikey Holloway_ _could handle Boxy, if he'd stop screaming, for two seconds.||_

The Huntress sighed, shrugging her bag over her shoulder and trudging towards social studies.

 _||Maybe this teacher won't be quite as vindictive as the last,||_ She thought, though she doubted it.

She soon perked up, though, when she heard a commotion nearby. Peering around the corner, she was not all that surprised to find a certain goth girl dragging a certain ghost-boy down the hall, by one foot. The two received strange looks and whispering filled air, as Danny allowed himself to be tugged along, drinking from a baby's sippy-cup.

The rumor mill was only more fueled when Valerie came over and grabbed his other foot, helping Sam get him to social studies. "Yo, Manson! Gray!" Someone shouted.

"What do you want, Lex?" Both girls snapped, hatefully, turning to glare at the boy. The entire hallway froze, and it looked like it was all Lex could do not to hide behind the nearest jock. By this point, everyone had heard of the two girls' war on A-Listers. And, though Lex wasn't one, he was still higher up on the food chain than the Nerd Herd, and nobody knew if it stretched to everyone who outranked them.

"W-what's wrong with Fenton?" He said, stammering but standing his ground. "He's been acting weird all week."

"What are you talking about?" Sam asked, nervously.

"Banjo strings stole the derby from a leprechaun."

Sam blanched. " _That's_ what I'm talking about," Lex clarified, regaining a bit of his composure.

"The popcorn had it out for the badgers, from the very beginning," Danny almost-scolded, sitting halfway up and wagging a finger at the other boy. The whispers rose, again, with a vengeance.

Sam and Valerie glanced at each other, nervously, silently asking if the other had any viable explanation. So far, they'd been running on the fact that Amity Park and it's residents are _always_ weird, and the Fentons are even weirder. It had worked, for a while. But, apparently, that ship had finally sailed. And, it had left them stranded on a haunted, desert island.

 _||Desert island... Desert... Deser... Des...||_

"It was Desiree!" Valerie shouted, slightly frantic, despite her usual, calm demeanor.

"Huh?" Asked most of the students around her, including Sam.

"It was Desiree," She repeated, elbowing the goth girl, lightly, and meeting her violet eyes. "She hit Danny with a spell that's making everything he says come out as gibberish. It should wear off in a few days," She explained, having absolutely no idea where the words she was saying were coming from, but thanking God for them, anyways.

"Seriously?" Lex asked, slightly skeptical. The others bore similar expressions, but, the more they looked at the blue-eyed teen in the floor, the more convinced they became. Valerie and Sam shared a look, and nodded.

"Yes," Sam answered, seriously. "Danny and I were trying to get a better look at a ghost fight, Monday morning, and Desiree decided it would be funny to play a trick on the ghost-hunters' kid. So, don't tell anybody. Because, we all know _everyone_ goes to watch the ghost-fights, when they get the chance, even though it's against school rules."

Nobody could argue with that. Who, in their right mind, would pass up a chance to see Phantom, in action. "So, you saw the Ghost-Boy, Monday?" Paulina asked, hopefully, clasping her hands under her chin.

"Yeah, nobody's seen Phantom, since Friday," Mikey added, almost glaring at the goth. "Do you guys know where he is?" It sounded almost like an accusation.

"N-no," Sam thought fast. "We haven't seen Phantom. When Danny and I saw Desiree, we assumed she was going to fight Phantom, so we followed her. But, she saw us, and did this," She gestured to her short friend.

"Taco-Flavored elephants mrphmphf mphrumpf." Sam covered the boy's mouth with one hand, grinning nervously. The Geek Squad stood together, arms folded and seeming entirely unconvinced. But, thankfully, they seemed to be the only ones.

Soon enough, the crowd had dispersed, abandoning their gossip about Fenton, in favor of more gossip about Phantom.

 _||If only they knew how ironic this is,||_ Sam thought, listening to the chatter, as she and Valerie reached down to grab Danny's feet, again. This, in turn, caused the boy to tip back and hit his head on the tiles.

After spending ten minutes trying to soothe the whining baby-in-a-teenager's-body, Valerie finally caved and gave the tiny Junior a piggy-back ride to class.

"Marco!" He shouted, throwing his hands up, cheerfully.

"Polo," Sam, Valerie, and several others in the hallway answered, grinning.

* * *

Clark, Mike, and Les watched after the Herd, for a few more seconds, before making a break for the nearest empty room. It just happened to be the janitor's closet.

"STAY!" Mikey shouted, fighting with the mop that dreamed of becoming a wig, pushing it off his head and back against the wall, for the fifth time. He growled, angrily, glaring at the drippy, inanimate object. "I don't trust those girls."

"None of us do, Mike," Lester assured. "But, we gotta have proof, before we can do anything."

"I don't have proof," Clark started, pulling out his notebook. "But, I might know somewhere we can find some."

* * *

 _||Jonesie. Why did it have to be Jonesie?||_ Sam wondered, miserably. She was sitting in class, nonchalantly holding one steel-toed, combat boot down on Danny's pants-leg, to keep him from flying away. Valerie was on his other side, doing the same. The goth was _so glad_ Jazz had made her brother wear a belt, or he probably would've flown away in his underwear. She was starting to miss the suspenders, but those would've been too obvious, in class.

The blue-eyed boy went to speak, and both girls quickly slapped their hands over his mouth. Unfortunately, Jonesie heard the noise and turned towards them. They quickly retracted their hands, folding them on their desks, smiling innocently, while keeping their feet firmly on the cuffs of their friend's jeans.

"Mr. Fenton, is there something you wish to share with the class?" The teacher asked, suddenly standing over them, completely unamused. Where was the Jonesie who had a ridiculous mock-court about doughnuts, two days before?

Danny opened his mouth, but Sam interrupted him. "ACTUALLY, Mr. Jones!" The grumpy man turned to her, and Valerie slapped her hands over Danny's mouth, again, behind the man's back. Thankfully, though, the teacher didn't notice it, that time. "I was the one making noise," Sam finished.

"Very well. Do _you_ have anything to share with the class, _Miss Manson_?" His voice was dripping with his special brand of demonic sarcasm, which magically disappeared whenever there was drama to be created. He could switch so fast that the students and faculty of Casper High had begun to wonder if a ghost was overshadowing him.

Sam bit back a smart remark, wracking her brain for a reply, as she glanced around the room out of the corners of her eyes. Danny was still struggling against Valerie, and the others in the class were staring at the two. Some of them were already holding back their laughter, at least one had their phone's camera up and aimed, and a few seemed ready to sabotage Valerie and set Danny loose. Apparently, word had already spread about 'Desiree's spell'.

"Uh,-" She started, before Valerie made a squeaking noise, interrupting her thoughts. Several students began snickering, and she and Jonesie turned to find Val and Danny hugging, the boy's face buried in the girl's shoulder. The teacher called for quiet, ordering Valerie back to her seat, then pivoted back to Sam, as though he were on an axle, staring at her, intently.

"Uh," Sam started, again, turning back to the irritable teacher. "Uh."

"Miss Manson, I will not have you disrupting my class, with your ridiculous shenanigans. If you honestly believe that I can't recognize an attempt to delay my lesson, you are sorely mista-."

 ***Beep-Beep-Beep***

"AHA!"

* * *

Lester was watching, along with everyone else, as Manson and Gray tried to hide Danny's delusions, silently wishing he could do something for the poor, little ghost. In all honesty, though, it would've been funny, if he didn't know how serious the situation really was. In fact, he could've almost changed his mind about the two girls, seeing how hard they were working to hide the boy's 'condition' from the teacher.

Almost. But, he knew they were only protecting themselves.

He had to admit, though, he nearly lost it, himself, when Danny got tired of having his mouth covered and _licked Valerie's hand_. The Huntress had released an undignified squeak, quickly hiding the situation by pretending to hug the tiny Junior.

 _||But, the face she made- Oh, how I wish I had a picture of that. I didn't know a human's eyes could get that wide, without needing surgery, afterwards. Guess that tosses the android thing out the window, unless they're even more advanced than I was aware.||_ Lester also couldn't deny the sheer mirth he'd found in watching Jonesie chew Manson out.

That had ended, abruptly, though, as chaos broke loose, yet again. (Likely, for no other reason than because this was Amity Park.)

Gray's watch - the one Mikey had figured was secretly a ghost-hunting device, made for detection and containment - went off, and the mechanical ghost many people had heard called Skulker phased in through the wall.

"AHA!" The robot-ghost shouted. Jonesie and his students ran screaming, save for Lester, Danny, Gray, and Manson. Les watched from beneath his desk, as the two girls attacked Skulker, leaving the blue-eyed ghost sitting at his desk, completely defenseless.

 _||What are you doing!?||_ Les growled at himself, in his mind. He struck the tiles with his fist, in aggravation.

 _||Stop being such a coward! This isn't your first rodeo! You've lived in Amity Park your whole life! You have an ecto-gun on you! Help! Him!||_ He reached into his bag, quickly retrieving said weapon, and checking that the safety was off. It was Fenton technology, and it grated at him to use it, (at least until they were certain,) but it was all he had.

Lester waited until the three fighters had their backs turned, before running forward and grabbing Danny. He picked him up, the boy hanging over one of his shoulders, as he sprinted for the door.

Thankfully, Danny decided to be quiet, for the moment, and the others failed to notice them. He set the tiny Junior down in the hall and waited, as he worked on catching his breath and listened to the sounds of the battle. Several ecto-blasts came out the door, hitting the lockers opposite them, making Lester jump. Danny seemed unfazed. "How- How do you _do_ this sort of thing?" The redhead panted.

 _||As if you can even understand me...||_

"Marshmallow army in the trapezoid bicycle. Helicopter angels ride the monster whales," The tiny ghost replied, looking up at the boy towering above him, with huge, innocent, confused, blue eyes.

 _||And, I was right...||_

"Yeah. Whatever," Lester panted, again, smiling sadly and patting the smaller boy on the head. He got hold of his shoulders, turning him this way and that, checking him over for injuries. Suddenly, a large explosion sounded from inside the room, shaking the floor, and causing both of them to jump.

 ***Whoosh***

"I WILL GET YOU, WHELP!" A squeaky voice cried, before the room went quiet. If he hadn't known better, judging by the speech-pattern and degrading term of address, Lester would've thought it was skulker. But, it was way too high-pitched to be him... Right?

The tall redhead was pulled from his thoughts, abruptly, when he heard the two ghost-hunters on the other side of the wall scream, " **DANNY**!?"

They ran out of the room, frantically. "Lester," Manson shouted, after she ran into him. He knew his ribs would be sore for days, but he was fairly proud of the fact that he hadn't even budged. "Have you seen Danny!?"

He considered letting them sweat it out a little bit. But, then he realized that, if they were asking where Danny was, then he must not be behind him, anymore.

And, sure enough, when he turned to the space that the little ghost had previously occupied, he was gone. "He was right here, just a second ago," He said, swallowing the huge lump of anxiety in his throat, before it could crawl up to his brain and cloud his judgment.

" **WHAT**!?" The two ghost-hunters screamed, splitting up and rushing away.

 _||Yeah. I definitely dodged a bullet, there,||_ Part of his brain commented, blandly, watching his used-to-be crush sprint off down the hallway.

He was about to head off in search of the delusional specter, himself, when the boy reappeared in front of him. "Polka-dots."

"Uh..."

" _ **DANNY**_!?" Manson screeched, somewhere deeper in the school.

"...Well," Les said, finally, chuckling a little. "I knew you were the 'Prank Master Of Casper High', but I guess I didn't realize just how many tricks you had up your sleeve. Though, this does explain how you got all that Fenton-wipe in Dash's locker."

"Chocolate Pineapples."

* * *

 **AN: Hey, everybody! :)**

 **Yep. Looks like we're doing this, again. A little differently, this time :) I had originally intended for the Geek Squad to start being less-involved, beginning in this chapter. But, then, this happened :) Don't worry, though. I know everyone's probably getting really tired of this, but it's almost over :)**

 **If a search engine called 'Searchmo' really does exist, I have no idea about it, and I do not own it, and I'm sorry for making fun of it. *Hugs***

 **As always,  
God bless, and I hope you enjoyed! :)  
\- Ellie**


	29. 28: Live & Let Fly

**Chapter 28:**  
 **Live & Let Fly**

* * *

It was a good thing there was still twenty minutes until the next class.

"We go three days just fine, and, then we lose him _twice_ , _in one day_?" Sam muttered to herself, angrily. She, Jazz, and Valerie were running around the school, again, trying to find her delusional almost-boyfriend. "DANNY!?" She called, again, slowing only to listen for a reply.

* * *

It was a good thing social studies was called off, with twenty minutes to go, because Les had needed all of it - And, then, some, if he was being honest with himself. - to process what he'd just done. He was currently hiding in the AV closet, waiting on second period to end, (so his friends could get their butts over there, already!) while, apparently, babysitting a delusional ghost.

He had already typed up an urgent text to the other Squad-members, completely ignoring the rule against phones during school hours, so all he had to do was press 'send', the second the bell rung. But, it was taking _forever_!

 _||I'm pretty sure classes have never been this long, before,||_ He thought, as he watched the little ghost fly his little ghost-ice-sculptures around his little ghost-ice-castle.

Part of him was marveling at the craftsmanship, but the rest of him was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that he had, _actually_ , _involved himself_ in a **_ghost-fight_**. Either way, he wasn't making much progress.

"Zhooom! Poosh! Bam! EEK! Mayday! Orange staple guns have the hippo in a headlock! Don't you touch my robot! _YEE-HAW_! Redwood pins the eagle to a carburetor!"

"Uhhhh-" Les mumbled, almost involuntarily. The little ghost looked at him, then smiled and handed him an icy space shuttle. The redhead examined it, turning it over in his hands. It wasn't nearly as cold as he'd expected it to be. And, it looked just like the real thing, but blue and more ghostly. It, just like the other ice-sculptures, gave off a pale, white, ghostly aura. A soft, green light glowed from the little rockets, and from somewhere within the center of the toy. He couldn't decide which word suited it better: 'incredible' or 'adorable'.

"Cocoa butter," Danny said, interrupting his thoughts and pointing to a button on the side. "Maltese acorns bid for the honeycomb crowns." He moved the taller boy's hands to sit the shuttle on the ground. "Cocoa butter," He repeated, pushing the toy closer to him and motioning to the little, blue circle, again.

Lester looked at the shuttle, then at the ghost, then back at the shuttle. Then, he pressed the button.

The green light at the heart of the toy began to pulse, and the thing he had previously thought to be one piece of ice sprung to life, as though it were mechanical. And, a closer look proved this to be the case.

Initially, it had seemed almost opaque, but, now that it was moving, he could see that it was made up of hundreds of tiny, nearly-translucent pieces. Watching through the semi-translucent hull, he could see all the tiny pieces working in perfect harmony. The green lights from the toy cast eerie glints, as the white light from the ceiling above them created beautiful shadows, both shining through the ice, growing darker with every piece they had to pass through.

 _||Did he build this? I know his parents and sister are supposed to be geniuses, but Danny's failing almost all of his classes. If he's this brilliant, why doesn't he get better grades? ...Unless... Children with troubled home-lives often find it difficult to focus in school. Maybe Mike was right about the Fentons. But, I sure hope not.||_

He was shaken from this line of thinking, suddenly, when the little, green lights in the rockets (which he had initially assumed were for decoration,) ignited. Little, green, ectoplasmic flames pulsed from the bottom of the shuttle, and it drifted upwards, slowly, hovering just above the closet floor.

Lester stared, dumbly, as Danny reached into the pocket of thin air he had pulled the toys out of, producing what looked like an RC controller made of ice. The blue-eyed boy offered it to him, and Lester took it, uncertainly.

He looked between it and the ghost for a moment. Then, he pushed one of the buttons, and the ship twirled in place, slowly and gracefully. He did this several more times, then pushed another button. The rockets flared, slightly, propelling the tiny piece of machinery upwards, where it continued to float, the nose of the craft almost level with Les' chin. Pressing a third button caused an ectoplasm-green bubble to spread from the pulsing heart of the shuttle.

The bubble grew, passing over Lester, who gave a slight shiver, and Danny, who just smiled, contentedly. It finally stopped, when it hit the borders of the small closet, creating a shimmering, green glow on the walls, floor, and ceiling. And, suddenly, Lester found himself in a zero-gravity field.

He looked at Danny, floating in front of him. The boy smiled and threw his arms into the air, happily. "Maltese acorns bid for the honeycomb crowns." He repeated. He flapped his arms around, floating a little higher, and tipping to the side a bit. "Honeycomb crowns."

"Honeycomb crowns. Right," Lester replied, numbly. He pushed off the floor with his foot, gently, rising higher into the air. Then, he smiled. "...Best. Day. **EVER!** "

* * *

"I don't care what kind of laws there are against it, or what kind of damage it might do to your psyche, I am putting a tracking device on you," Jazz grumbled to her non-present brother, as she ran through the halls.

Then, she skidded to a halt and smacked herself on the forehead. "Tracking device. Duh." She pulled out her phone, dialing Tucker, for the second time that morning. "C'mon, c'mon," She pleaded, under her breath, bouncing in place, as she waited for him to pick up.

* * *

"Y'ello," Tucker answered his phone, cheerfully.

"Tucker! Is the BOO-merang still at your house?" Jazz screamed into his ear.

"Uh, yeah. Why?" He asked, tentatively, holding the phone back, for the sake of his hearing.

" **DON'T ASK ME STUPID QUESTIONS! JUST TELL IT TO FIND DANNY AND THROW IT**!"

"Okay, okay..." He walked over to the dresser he stored his ghost-tech in, careful not to wake the little 'princess' in his bean bag chair. Then, the implications of what Jazz had said hit him, and he dropped his phone.

"TUCKER?! _TUCKER_?!" Jazz's voice rang out from the tiny speakers. He slammed the drawer open and did as she'd ordered, not bothering to open the window. The stupidly-named ghost-detector crashed through the glass. Thankfully, though, Ellie slept like a comatose mountain.

 _||No. No, she really sleeps more like a volcano. If you wake her up, you're dead. But, thankfully, she's hard to wake up,||_ Part of Tucker's brain commented. But, he was too busy to pay it any attention.

He snatched the phone back up, frantically. "Why do you need the BOO-merang to find Danny?" He squeaked, breathless, his eyes wide and panicked.

"...'Cause, we kinda lost him..."

"YOU _LOST_ HIM!?"

"...Again..."

" ** _'AGAIN'!?_** **AS IN, 'MORE THAN ONCE', 'AGAIN'?!** "

* * *

"Hello?" Lester answered his phone. Even though they couldn't see him, the two boys on the other end could tell he was smiling. Clark and Mikey stood, waiting for their tall friend in the Squad's predetermined meeting place.

"Les? Are you okay?" Mikey asked, tentatively, glancing at his dark-haired friend.

"Never better!" He replied, happily.

 ***Crash***

They heard a metallic clatter in the background.

"What are you doing?" Clark asked, incredulously.

"Guess."

"Excuse me?" Mikey deadpanned.

"G-U-E-S-S, guess. Guess what I'm doing."

"...Les, are you being overshadowed?" Mikey raised and eyebrow.

"That question is pointless to answer, because everyone knows that a ghost is never going to admit that they're overshadowing someone." It was Lester, alright. "And, even if they did, everyone would think they were joking. Now, _guess_."

 ***Crash***

"Um..." Clark started, looking to Mikey and scratching his head, as the metallic sound rang out, again. "Kicking the bucket?" He grinned at his own joke, as Mikey elbowed him, also grinning, despite himself. Then, the two froze, when Danny Fenton cackled, on the other end of the line.

"No," Les chuckled, uncharacteristically. "Well, yes, actually, but that's not the thing I was talking about. Guess, again!"

"...Is Danny with you?" Mikey asked, pointlessly, since he could clearly hear the delusional ghost's voice.

"Yeah! Guess what we're doing!

"Where are you?" Mikey pressed.

" _Guess!_ "

"Flying kites, with a hobo! Marrying a witch to an antelope! _I don't know_! **_Where are you_**!?" Mikey finally shouted.

"We're in the AV closet, on the first floor, across from Jonesie's room!" Their friend beamed, sunshine leaking from his every syllable. "C'mere, quick! You _gotta_ see this! Wait-" His voice got fainter, as they assumed he turned away from the phone. "Will the bubble pop, if we open the door?"

"Bubble?" The two geeks mouthed to each other.

"Coconut parsnips jumped in the lake with the magic horse-hairs," Danny replied.

"What?" Mikey squeaked.

"I have no idea. 'Polka-dots' means 'I'm thirsty', 'cocoa butter' means 'press this button', and 'honeycomb crowns' either means 'zero-gravity' or 'Look, Ma, I'm flyin''. I haven't figured it all out, yet. Just get over here!" Les rushed, before cutting the connection. The other two just stared at the phone for a moment, before rushing off towards the first floor. They only had ten minutes until their next class.

* * *

Lester shut his phone and turned to the little ghost floating next to him. "Hey, Danny, watch this!" He said, then proceeded to moon-walk across the ceiling.

"Coral fissures!" The boy with the bucket on his head cried, throwing his hands in the air and smiling.

"I know, right?" Lester smiled back.

* * *

Sam ran down the stairs, into the school's basement, hoping to find Danny down there. But, instead, she found Valerie.

"What are you doing!?" She asked, angrily, hands on her hips.

"What does it _look_ like I'm doing?" The Huntress grunted, snarkily, putting down the heavy object she'd been carrying.

"It _looks_ like you're reorganizing the school basement, when you're _supposed_ to be helping us find Danny."

"I _am_ helping find Danny. Boxy can sense him, in either form. And, _what_ is Boxy attracted to?"

It dawned in Sam's eyes. "Boxes. Of course," She smacked herself in the forehead.

"Right. So, help me stack these boxes up," She said, gesturing to the pyramid of cardboard she'd created.

"Wait. Didn't you suck Boxy into the thermos?"

The huntress growled. "Yes. But, then that _idiot_ , Dash, put his big, fat foot in my way, and I tripped and accidentally let the little box-freak loose, again." Sam tried to hide her mirth by grabbing a box and setting to work.

* * *

Mikey and Clark stood in the doorway of the small AV closet. Before them, Danny and Lester were _hovering_ , dancing in the air. Danny had a bucket on his head, wearing it like a hat, while Lester sported another on his foot.

"What-" Mikey croaked. Lester saw them, flew down, and yanked them inside, shutting the door behind them.

"C'mon, guys! We only have-" He looked at his watch. "-seven more minutes of zero-G's, before P.E.!"

* * *

Jazz stood outside the school, watching the sky for her parents' ridiculous-but-useful invention. Then, a green and silver blur whizzed past her, crashing through the building's cellar doors. She followed, rushing through the now-splintered chunks of wood, into the basement of the school.

* * *

Sam nearly dropped the box she was carrying, as a familiar, Fenton creation whizzed by her head. Then, she nearly fell down, as another familiar, Fenton creation nearly crashed into her, chasing after it.

"Jazz?" She and Valerie asked. The redhead didn't bother to stop.

"FOLLOW THAT DANNY-TRACKER!" She screeched. Valerie looked at the goth girl, and the two shrugged to each other. The Huntress dropped her own cardboard cube, and the younger teens ran after the frantic bookworm.

* * *

The Geek Squad played zero-gravity with Danny, until they had exactly two minutes to get to the gym, agreeing that they _really_ had to do this again, after class. (Especially, after Clark started whining that Lester got a longer turn.) The three mentally-stable boys somehow convinced Danny to clean up his toys, - which he then tossed back into the portal he'd opened in thin air that, apparently, only he had access to, - got the buckets off of his head and Les' foot, and then tugged him off towards their next class. If nobody else was going to watch out for the little ghost-boy, they would.

"I can't believe he devised a method to use ectoplasm as a power-source," Mikey muttered to his friends, excitedly, as the four walked down the hall, careful to make sure no one else could hear. It was all the shorter redhead could do to keep from skipping. Les nodded, still dumbstruck and grinning from ear to ear. Anyone who knew the boy would hardly recognize him.

"I can't believe how energy-efficient it is," Clark replied. He and Danny each had one hand of the smallest boy's ice-panda, and they were swinging it between them, as they walked. Mikey nodded back, smiling.

"...I can't believe I FLEW!" Lester whisper-screamed, throwing his arms up and hopping into the air, excitedly. He actually punched one of the ceiling tiles. The four boys coughed, as the sheet rock fell on them, then began dusting themselves off.

"Massachusetts. Purple tailor man. Crayon-nibbler," Danny said, earning the three geeks' attention, as they set to work dusting him off, as well. The boy pointed back down the hall, the way they had come. They looked, but saw nothing, and headed on, tugging the pathetically-confused, little ghost along with them.

* * *

"C'MON!" Jazz shouted to Sam and Valerie, running down the hall, still chasing the BOO-merang. "THIS WAY!"

Suddenly, the device took a sharp turn, crashing through the door of an AV closet. Jazz yanked the door opened and looked inside, Valerie and Sam looking over her shoulders. But, all they found was the BOO-merang, lying on the floor next to Danny's ice-dragon. Sam picked it up, and the three girls looked at each other, worriedly.

* * *

Alone, in the dark, school basement, someone gasped. "THE MOTHER-LOAD," The Box Ghost breathed, taking in the glorious surroundings, as he phased through the wall.

Before him were more boxes than he could have ever imagined. And, in the center of this wonderful place, beneath a beaming light-source hanging from the ceiling, was a majestic, cardboard pyramid, obviously crafted with delicate love and ca-

"OH MY -" Boxy screamed, flying down and scooping up a poor, dented box, that had obviously been cast down onto the cold, unforgiving concrete by some cruel monster. "YOU POOR, SWEET BABY! DON'T WORRY, DADDY'S HERE!" He soothed, caressing and petting the little cube in his arms, a few small tears threatening to spill from his eyes.

"WHAT SORT OF DESPICABLE DEMON WOULD _DO_ SUCH A THING!?" He cried, before spotting a tiny, red light, blinking in the corner.

The box ghost flew closer, examining the object, the poor, abused, cardboard object still tucked safely under his arm. It was a small, metal, device. He recognized it as a video camera. No- a _security_ camera. And, it was square.

The box ghost grinned, almost-menacingly, tiny fangs peeking out from beneath his gums. He reached towards the camera with one glowing, blue hand. He would find this demonic box-defiler. And, he would make them regret having ever been born.

* * *

"Jack, stop making so much noise, I'm trying to get Marty to sleep," Maddie said, as she reached into the cage and tucked a blanket around the sick ectopus.

"SORRY, MADS," Her husband replied, and tried to be more quiet, as he worked on welding together their latest invention. She felt of Marty's head and sighed, again, as the ghost sniffled. "Looks like you need more medicine," She said, picking up the bottle she had bought especially for the ectopus. "Honestly, I thought we had two bottles of cough syrup, in the upstairs cabinet. I wonder where they went to..."

* * *

 **AN: I know where they went to ;)**

 **Hey, everybody! :)**

 **I know this one's a little short, but everything else I could've put I didn't want happening until next chapter :)**

 ** ** **And, seriously, this fic _is_ going to pick up, again. Next chapter will have a whole bunch of action, the one after that is pretty-much normal, but the one after that starts the end-game for this fic. So, fasten your ecto-seatbelts, because you might lose your lunch over my terrible writing skills. But, hey, I'm getting better, right? :)******

 **As always,  
God bless, and I hope you enjoyed! :)  
\- Ellie**


	30. 29: Blue Storm Rising

**Chapter 29:**  
 **Blue Storm Rising**

* * *

It was, finally, here. Gym class. Tetslaff and her incredible love of torturing students as much as she could without getting arrested, and the one part of the school-day that the jocks excelled at, both happening at once. The time of the day that anyone who couldn't throw a ball at least ten yards feared even more than a pop quiz in math. It was like prime-time TV.

And, Dash and Kwan couldn't even get excited about it.

They stood off to the side, Kwan shifting his weight from one foot to the other, and Dash fidgeting so much it would be a wonder if he didn't wear his thumbs down to their knuckles. Every time someone opened the door, they nearly gave themselves whiplash, snapping their heads up, hoping to find their hero.

Dash could practically see it. Phantom would walk in, - Completely recovered, and confident, as always, - to thank them for watching out for him, in his time of need.

At least, that's how he _hoped_ it would happen. But, he would certainly understand if the ghost would rather thank them in private. Like, after school, or something. Dash understood having to keep your rep up.

The two Juniors' heads jerked, once more, this time to the center of the gym, as Tetslaff blew her whistle. "WHERE ARE MANSON AND GRAY? FENTON, WHERE'S YOUR GIRLFRIEND!?" The woman bellowed.

Weird. Fenton was hanging with The Geek Squad. And, it looked like they didn't want him to answer.

* * *

Clark, Mikey, and Lester quickly covered Danny's mouth with their hands, struggling to keep him quiet, before he could say anything they would regret. "We're not sure where they are, Ms. Tetslaff. They skipped last period," Lester explained, somehow managing to keep the tremor out of his voice. Everything he said had been true, but that didn't make the woman any less terrifying. Plus, as much as they disliked them, the Squad knew this class would be much more difficult for almost everyone, without the two female ghost-hunters destroying the football players.

The coach raised an eyebrow. "THEY SKIPPED, WITHOUT FENTON?"

At this news, the gym broke out in murmurs. Was the Nerd Herd having some kind of fight? Did Manson and Fenton secretly (FINALLY) get together, then break up? Was Gray causing drama in the group? Was that why Foley'd been missing, all week?

These thoughts were interrupted, when the gym doors slammed open. And, there stood Sam Manson, panting, as though she'd just run a marathon. Upon noticing the fifty pairs of eyes trained on her, she straightened, smoothing out her frazzled hair.

Then she saw Danny, and screamed, rushing to the boy, and scooping him up off the floor, in a bone-crushing hug. For the people who had money on the two becoming a couple, this was just more proof that they were right and the people who thought Danny would end up with Valerie were completely off-mark.

"DANNY!" The dark-haired girl shouted, as the Squad glared, and its two redheads struggled to hold a furious Clark back, by his shirt. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!? YOU HAD US WORRIED SICK!" Sam cried, setting the little ghost down, and grabbing his shoulders. Then, she hugged him, again, pulling out her phone and hitting the speed-dial.

Then, she seemed to remember the people around her.

* * *

"Uh, hehe," The goth chuckled, nervously. She could physically _feel_ the others' stares, as Jazz finally picked up.

"SAM? _SAM!?_ " Everyone could hear the older Fenton sibling screaming, frantically, on the other end of the line.

"Uh, it's okay, Jazz. I found him. He was in P.E. Right where he's supposed to be," She said, as calmly as she could manage, then shut her phone, before the almost-psychologist could get started and make explaining things more difficult.

"Manson," Tetslaff began, with all the calm of intense, restrained fury. "Wanna tell us why you and Gray have been AWOL, most of the morning?"

"Um..." The goth started. Then, Valerie burst through the doors, followed closely by what looked like The Box Ghost, but seemed significantly more threatening.

Maybe even more than that time he'd gotten ahold of Pandora's Box.

* * *

"C'mon, Ghost-Nerd. Where are you?" Valerie muttered, under her breath, as she continued searching the halls.

 _||If I don't find him, soon, I'm going back to my box idea.||_ No sooner had she thought this, than her ghost detector went off. She sighed, heavily, and headed for the nearest empty room, which happened to be a janitor's closet.

"HUNTRESS!" A voice screeched, echoing slightly. It sounded familiar, but she couldn't place where she'd heard it before.

Then, a very angry Box Ghost flew around the corner, ghostly, blue flames completely surrounding him. She was about to groan something along the lines of 'Not now, Boxy, I'm busy', purely out of habit, when the idiot actually _blasted her into a wall_. The hit took the wind from her lungs, completely fried her watch/battle-suit controls, and knocked the _Fenton Thermos_ out of her backpack. The strange, silver-and-green cylinder rolled out of her reach. There was no way she was going to get to it, without kicking the Box Doofus' butt, first. Well, at least then he could help her find Danny.

She turned to him, aggravated. "Okay, Box-" She began, before he screamed, angrily, sending another ecto-blast her way. This one nearly took off her head, and left a nasty scorch-mark on the wall behind her. The Huntress dove to the side, going for her thermos, but the 'Blue Nuisance' blasted it. Charred chunks of metal scattered around the hall, and, for possibly the first time in her life, Valerie really looked at the ghost before her. Sure, she saw him at least twice a week, but she'd never really looked at him as another sentient creature. Just an object to be hunted.

 _||Okay. If ghosts (other than Danny) really are capable of reason, what could I have possibly done to make Boxy so mad?||_ Said ghost's nostrils flared, blue flames bursting out with each breath. The young ghost-hunter opened her mouth to try and voice her question, but was cut off by another scream, as she, _unbelievably_ , was forced to _run_ from _The Box Ghost_.

She was never gonna live this down.

Also unbelievably, this was the moment her phone chose to ring. "Jazz?" She answered, sprinting down one of the school's many corridors.

"Valerie? Sam found Danny, so we can stop panicking, now." The redhead sounded near-hysterical with relief. The Huntress was about to inform the older girl that they had another big problem, when the new information clicked into place.

 _||Sam has ghost-weapons. Sam's in the gym. Need to get to Sam.||_ Not her most insightful moment, but her brain had already kicked into battle-mode, and unnecessary words would just slow her down.

"Gym. Got it. Thanks," She replied, hanging up and skidding just past the turn for the class she was supposed to already be in. She hurried back towards the hall leading to the gym, Boxy closing in all the time. She could hear him roaring just behind her, in a strange, echo-ey language, she'd never heard, before. But, she didn't dare turn around.

The double-doors were in view. She put her hands out in front of her, ready to burst through to the room with the armed ghost-hunter, when it hit her that she was also leading the raging, blue lunatic towards a room full of kids.

She quickly shook this thought off, though. It was her only chance, the kids of Amity were used to this sort of thing, and Sam was the only one capable of stopping the crazed ghost, at that moment.

She burst in, Box Ghost on her heels. Panic was immediate. Students scattered and screams rang out from every direction, as Valerie ran towards her goth kind-of-friend, who was already aiming the wrist-ray she kept in her pocket. Boxy dodged the blast, and Sam sprinted for the bleachers, tossing the Huntress a back-up blaster from her bag.

* * *

Like any sane people would do, nearly all of the class had immediately made a break for the nearest exit, the moment the deranged, ectoplasmic being had reared his angry head. The few who did not, however, were possibly the sanest people in the school. Within twenty seconds, the only creatures remaining in the large room were two ghost-hunters, two ghosts, a band-geek who had fainted behind the bleachers, and the Geek Squad.

Mikey was the first to really react, noticing Danny sitting in the middle of the battlefield, seemingly making another ice-toy. He raced over, diving into him, and knocking him out of the way of a particularly nasty blast, that was meant for The Red Huntress. This only made Mikey angrier with the girl.

 _||How much danger do they intend to put him in!? Isn't dying_ _once_ _enough!?||_ The next thing he knew, he and Danny were being dragged behind the bleachers, opposite the unconscious band-geek.

Said geek stirred, revealing himself to be Stuart Darrell. Stu stood, quickly resuming his previously-interrupted panic, and ran head-first into the door-frame. He watched the pretty birdies for a moment, before an ecto-blast missed him by a few inches, and he rushed out, screaming.

Mikey watched this with a kind of horrified hysteria. He was worried for Stewie's safety, sure. But, the entire incident was just so _funny_ , for some reason, and the redhead found it hard to hold in his laughter.

* * *

Les watched his best friend chuckle almost-deliriously, figuring he was probably in some kind of shock. He had never known Mike was so brave, diving in to save Danny, like that. But, all of this was apparently taking its toll on them. If they found out Jazz was innocent in this whole mess, the geeks would probably have to take her on as a councilor. (They certainly couldn't go to a professional, with the information they had.)

Mikey never calmed much, as they continued to watch the two teenaged girls. Gray and Manson fought their hardest, just to survive the blue ghost's onslaught of ecto-blasts. Manson slipped up in a puddle near the girls' locker-room door, and Mike doubled over, covering his mouth and seemingly holding his breath, to keep from being heard. Then, Gray took one of the milder blasts to the rear end, and he completely lost it.

Les, on the other hand, felt like crying. Oh, he couldn't deny it was funny. Or, it would have been, if all of their lives, (and afterlife,) hadn't been at stake. But, he just felt so, completely _drained_.

The Box Ghost fired at the two girls again, and they both dove to the sides. The blast went through the open door of the boy's locker-room, bouncing off a mirror and ricocheting back towards the blue menace. It completely fried the ghost's beanie, and any hair that might've been underneath.

The shocked look on his face hid his anger for a moment, only causing Mike to laugh harder. And, the two female ghost-hunters actually _joined him_. Les felt something wet running down his cheeks.

The girls' joy was short-lived, though, as the ghost's anger flared, ten-fold. He began blasting, again, and the girls were finally hit, falling to the ground, hard. Gray seemed to be unconscious, while Manson's eyes were still slightly open.

Les wanted to do something. But, he found he could barely move. He was trembling too hard. And, even if he could do something, he'd likely only get himself killed. These girls were seasoned warriors, and he was having some kind of breakdown from just _watching_ one of their battles.

Regardless, he struggled to get his ecto-gun. It looked like time, itself, was slowing to a crawl. He watched, helplessly, _frantically_ , as the blue ghost charged up an enormous ecto-blast over the girls' heads. If it hit, he doubted they would survive.

* * *

While his two best friends had their strange, individual breakdowns, Clark sat by Danny, likely fighting off his own. He felt almost like he was dreaming, as he watched the strange ice-sculpture take form in his little ghost-friend's hands. His ears were still ringing from a blast that had come a bit too close, when he was helping Les drag Mike and Danny away from the fight, and everything sounded muffled. He'd never seen a battle this intense. Not up close.

He fought against what looked an awful lot like tunnel vision, as he strained to see the intricate patterns form on the sides of the sculpture, as Danny traced his fingers along it. He knew that some part of his brain recognized the sculpture's shape, but he couldn't, for the life of him, think of the word. And, he also couldn't bring himself to care. The little spirals and blossom-like patterns spreading across the ice were so pretty, and Danny's muffled babbling sounded so calming.

He almost fell asleep, several times, only to be yanked back to reality every few seconds, by the booming reminders of the supernatural battle taking place, not ten yards away. It shook the floor, violently, and was one of the only things he could hear clearly.

Finally, just as Mike and Les both broke down, completely, Clark's mental and visual faculties snapped back into focus, as though someone had flipped a switch. Danny held his creation aloft, declaring something that probably wouldn't have made sense, even if Clark could have heard it. The smaller boy stood, abruptly, heading towards the battlefield. Clark tried to stop him, but Danny was too fast.

He followed as quickly as he could, almost tripping over his unstable friends. (Danny had just _floated_ over them. The cheater.) He turned the corner around the bleachers, just in time to see The Box Ghost hovering over Manson and Gray, a huge ecto-blast charging between his palms.

 _||Why don't they do something!? Why don't they run!? How did this happen!?||_ His mind fought to make sense of the entire situation. He was halfway to Danny, when the teen-ghost thrust himself between the adult-ghost and the ghost-hunters. He held out his little ice-sculpture, babbling some more, though Clark still couldn't hear much.

 _||Wait. Why is Box Ghost not attacking? Why is his ecto-blast fading? Does he not want to hurt Danny? Is he one of the good guys? No, he fights Phantom all the time. Does he just not want to fight a sick ghost?||_ The Box Ghost's eyes were wide and the flames around him were beginning to flicker out, as he reached towards Danny's ice-sculpture, taking it, almost-reverentially. Clark finally managed to look at the little object clearly.

Then, he barely resisted the urge to smack himself on the forehead.

 _||Danny made him and ornamental, ice-sculpture box, as a peace-offering. It's nice to know that peace-offerings work with ghosts, but I'd like to know when my life became so weird that this is what I'd consider a somewhat-calm situation, and when_ _that_ _became useful information.||_

Clark turned to his hysterical friends, who were slowly beginning to calm themselves. Then, he turned back, as the previously-furious ghost said something he couldn't hear, smiling at Danny. Then, he looked at the two girls on the gym floor.

Clark could now tell that Gray was unconscious and Manson was near it, which explained a lot. The ghost pointed to them, declaring something Clark guessed was a warning, before he turned back to Danny, smiling again. Clark's sense of hearing was finally beginning to return, but it was slow-going. The older ghost patted the younger on the head, before turning invisible. The chill that came with most ghostly-presences (except Danny's, for some reason,) left the room, and everything suddenly felt a lot calmer.

 _||How come Danny doesn't give off that weird, chilly atmosphere? I mean, it gets a little cold, when he plays with his ice-toys or uses his powers, but it's a different kind of cold. Maybe it's only with ghost-fights. Maybe the cold comes from ghosts' anger,||_ The boy theorized, as the others tried to get their bearings.

Mike and Les wandered up behind him, as he watched Manson finally lose consciousness, and Danny sat down to play with his ice-toys, again. Clark couldn't decide if he was furious or not. These girls kept putting Danny in danger. He was so sure they were in on this. But, then, they acted like they cared, so much. Like when Manson had first entered the room.

"We'll figure it out," Les assured, putting a hand on his shoulder, shocking him a bit. He hadn't realized his hearing had come back. Apparently, he just couldn't understand Danny's babbling, because it was gibberish, anyways.

"I don't know what to think about them," He replied, finally, his tone somewhere between solemn and angry. "What if we were wrong?"

"We weren't wrong," Mikey assured, bitterly. "I'm sure they're just trying to lure him into a false sense of security. Danny's too smart to stay where he knows he's in danger, so they'll try and convince him he's safer _with_ them than _against_ them. Makes him easier to control."

"You think so?" Clark wondered. He hoped his friend was wrong. He hoped Danny really did have people who cared about him as much as Gray and Manson seemed to at times.

The shorter redhead nodded, as the taller folded his arms over his chest. "Maybe," Les said. Mikey seemed taken-aback.

"Bu-"

"We still don't have any definitive proof."

"Gray lured that ghost in here," Mike pointed out, as calmly as he could manage. He was still a bit panicked, even if he wasn't in complete hysterics, anymore.

"Did you see her watch? It's completely destroyed," He motioned to the damaged device on the girl's wrist. "If it really is a ghost-detector, and a ghost-capturing device, then who's to say it doesn't house the controls for her battle-suit, too? If that's the case, she was likely left unarmed. Everyone knows Manson and Foley keep themselves armed to-the-teeth, so she probably headed here, for help," Lester reasoned.

"She still lead him straight to where Danny was," Clark pointed out.

"Not to mention, the rest of the Juniors," Mikey added.

Clark nodded, continuing. "If he's sick, he's likely in a weakened state. Wouldn't it have been better to call Manson to wherever she was?"

"If she was running, there was no telling where she would be, by the time Manson got to her location from the time of the call. Manson, on the other hand, would likely still be in the gym, since she wasn't running from a ghost. It's also possible that Gray didn't even know Manson was here, and was simply running for her life. Your theory is good, Mike. I hope you're wrong, but it _is_ good. But, I'm not going to condemn them, until I know, for certain, that they're a danger to Danny. If they're really not involved, it's incredibly possible that they're _victims_ in all this."

The other two nodded, still somewhat angry. They watched the little ghost play for another moment, before they helped him gather his toys and Clark and Mike led him out of the room. Once they were gone, Les called the nurse for the two unconscious ghost-hunters.

The Squad had had this discussion, before. Many times. They didn't want to condemn the girls without proof. But, that didn't mean they were going to trust them to look after Danny. Not until they knew, for certain, whose side they were on. The three boys would find a way, even if they had to skip classes, to make sure that the little ghost was safe.

Lester wasn't too worried about that, though. Mr. Lancer would understand, if he knew. He wanted his students to be responsible, and the Squad _would_ be responsible. Another person's safety was more important than any attendance-record. And, the three boys had already agreed that they would rather take punishment for doing good in secret, than to go through their lives knowing they could've done something and didn't, or made things worse by going public.

* * *

 **AN: Hey, everybody! :)**

 **Oh, Boxy, you're such a square ;)**

 **Well, this has gotten kinda dark and serious, huh? Hopefully not too much, 'cause it's only gonna get worse *Evil grin* Forgive me, if I'm terrible at action scenes, I'm really trying. But, I gotta admit, I'm pretty rpoud of this bizarre whatever-it-is. :)**

 **So... I really don't have anything more to say about this chapter, other than that I'm self-conscious about Mike and Les's breakdowns. I seriously doubt they were realistic. But, then again, they were being chased by a blue ghost, who's telekinesis only works with shipping equipment... Heaven help, if Boxy ever discovers packing tape...**

 **As always,  
God bless, and I hope you enjoyed! :)  
\- Ellie**


	31. 30: Clear & Present Danny

**Chapter 30:**  
 **Clear & Present Danny**

* * *

Tucker paced his bedroom floor, wondering what to do. He wanted to help look for Danny, but he couldn't leave Ellie, and he couldn't take the girl with him. Heck, he couldn't even leave the house, because then he would risk running into one of his parents in town. These were the times having a real estate agent for a mother was tricky. She could be, literally, in any part of town, at any given time, and he could never keep up with where and when.

Thankfully, Ellie was still asleep. Usually, her lunacy distracted him from his troubles, but he had a feeling they would only add to them, this time. Then, finally, _finally_ , Jazz called. He didn't calm down until the third time she told him they had found his friend. Apparently, he'd been in gym class, right where he was supposed to be.

The redhead hung up, having to get ready for the soon-to-arrive lunch-skippers, desperate to finish their homework, before the next period. The techno-geek plopped down in his desk chair, with a sigh. He propped his heels on the chair's edge, his elbows on his knees, and his head in his hands.

 _||At least, I can calm down, now.||_

And, with that crisis over, he took his own nap.

* * *

For possibly the first time in their lives, Dash and Kwan were using their time wisely. Gym had been called off two minutes in, because of the ghost attack, and Tetslaff had actually broken her arm in the fray to escape. Last Kwan had heard, she was in the nurse's office, grumbling about not needing to go to the hospital, because 'she might be a woman, but she wasn't some sissy-prissy missy'. So, it didn't look like they'd just move the class somewhere else, like they usually did, and the two footballers had quickly split up to search (frantically) for Phantom.

Dash had been trying to convince his friend that they should go look for the hero around town, after they finished looking at the school. But, Kwan didn't agree. Yeah, he was worried about the little guy, but Phantom fought ghosts, every day. He was a superhero. He could handle himself, right?

 _||"Shiny, cornucopia light bulbs."||_ The little ghost's babbling echoed through his memory, and he paused, before picking up his pace a bit.

* * *

"Phantom?" Dash whispered, peering into one of the empty classrooms. Deciding his hero wasn't in there, he turned around, only to run into his girlfriend.

"Dash, what are you doing?" She deadpanned, unamused. The blond opened his mouth to explain, panickedly, about his and Kwan's ghostly encounter that morning. But, before he could, his brain kicked in.

 _||Paulina could probably get a lot of people to help search for Phantom, but, then the news would spread, like wildfire, even to the people who_ _don't_ _like Phantom. And, if anyone who thinks Phantom is evil finds out that he's hurt, and that he's probably too out-of-it to fight, they might do something to him. They might kill/destroy/whatever-it's-called him... I can't let that happen.||_

"Uhhh..." He zoned back in, realizing he'd been making that sound the entire time the Latina had been standing there. "...Looking for Kwan," He lied.

"He's on the other end of the school. When I asked what he was doing, he said he was looking for _you_."

 _ **Are these two**_ _ **really**_ _ **that stupid?** ||_ Dash had no idea where the voice had come from. It sounded kind of like Paulina, but more echo-ey. He looked up and down the hall, seeing no one else nearby, before turning back to his girlfriend.

"Uh, did you... say something?" He finally asked.

"Yes. I told you that Kwan is on the other end of the school, looking for you," She said, slowly and carefully, enunciating each word.

"No, I mean, did you just call me 'stupid'?"

"No, but I'm seriously considering it."

"..."

"..."

"Uh..."

 _ **This, again** ,||_ The voice returned, unbidden, to his mind, and he snapped his mouth shut, with a ' _clop_ '.

"...I'll just... go-see-what-he-wants," He said the last part quickly, as though it were one word, rushing off, before the girl could reply.

 ** _||Honestly. If he wasn't a quarterba-||_** The words faded more, the further away he got, until they disappeared, altogether.

 _||Man, that was trippy,||_ He thought, relieved that the only voice in his head was his own. He needed to find Kwan. That was way too much like the visions he'd had the day before. What had come of those, again?

 _||Okay, first, I saw Gray's mouth, grinning. The scary kind of grin. Like before she... I can't believe she beat me up... Then, I heard Fentoad screaming, out in the hall. What was he saying, again? ...Walnuts? ...No, that's not right...||_ He unconsciously shook his head, to clear it.

 _||What was the other one? I was in detention... and, a picture of Paulina and Star in jail flashed into my head... Flashed into my head... DID I GET ABDUCTED BY ALIENS!?||_ The jock skidded to a halt in the empty hallway, clutching at his hair.

 _||But, aliens don't exist... Wait. Ghosts exist. So, how come aliens can't? OH, MY GOSH! ALIENS EXIST! What happened after that? ...All the A-Listers in the room started to shiver... And, the nerds started to laugh...||_ His eyes widened.

 _||The nerds...||_

* * *

"What do you think's up with Dash?" Clark asked his friend, concerned, peering through the little window in the AV closet's door, as the jock wandered past. "He's been acting like a caffeinated squirrel, all morning." Mikey hummed in reply, not really seeming to hear him, too wrapped up in his little project.

Lester was off doing damage control with the nurse. As much as they distrusted Manson and Gray, they couldn't let anyone find out the truth about them, just yet. Without some seriously-careful tiptoeing, it was too short of a jump to Danny's secret. Meanwhile, Mikey worked on the drone that he'd brought with him that morning, as Clark kept watch, and the little ghost they were babysitting played what they could only guess was 'race car squid-farmers'.

Mike nearly cursed around the flashlight in his mouth, as the wireless web-cam slipped from his fingers, again. They'd kept the lights off in the room, so no one would notice them, and it was making his work more fiddly than it already would have been. (Though, having the lights off didn't do much, with Danny making stuff glow. But, they kept the little guy towards the back of the room, anyway.)

As he worked, Mike tried not to think too much about just what he was doing. Sure, when he'd gotten the toy for Christmas, the year before, he had figured he'd use it for spying. But, on his older sister. For normal, little brother, blackmail purposes. He'd never imagined he'd be involved in _real_ , _dangerous_ , **_potentially life-saving_ **spy-work.

But, that was before they knew. That was when life was simple. That was when he'd seen so many people as innocent, who were decidedly _not_.

He let out a small cry of triumph, as he successfully secured the camera to the drone. It had been too wobbly, the first try. The camouflage they'd attached to both pieces was too slippery, and Mikey'd had to attach the camera to the bottom and strap it down fairly-tightly with cable-ties, to keep it from rattling around during flight.

The camouflage was actually _Fenton_ technology. (Which grated at Mikey's nerves, tremendously.) It was supposed to mimic a ghost's invisibility, but this was only the prototype.

Lester's father had somehow convinced the Fenton parents that it would make a great spy toy for Christmas, the year before. The inventors had sold quite a few that holiday season. But, apparently, the _Proto-Ecto-Foil_ was a little too buggy, and they hadn't been popular enough for much of a profit. The scientists had offered repairs or refunds to anyone whose foil had stopped working, and many had gotten their money back. Most of them, likely, out of fear of Jack's knack for building things that blow up, for no apparent reason. (Though, Mikey wasn't so sure the man's 'accidents' were so accidental, anymore.) As a result, Les now had one of the few left in town.

Clark turned in Mikey's direction, grabbing the redhead's cellphone and pressing a few keys. Mike picked up the drone's controller and the little toy-turned-tool rose into the air. It hovered for a moment, before the camera finally synced up to the little communication-device in Clark's hand, it's airborne view leaping to life on the screen. "Finally," Clark whispered.

"Purple honeycomb crowns," Danny said, pausing in his game to point at the drone.

Mike nodded, "Now, we can keep an eye on things, without making anyone suspicious." Clark crept over to the door, peeking out it's little window, once more, before opening it, as quietly as he could. It really wasn't very quiet, since the hinges really needed oiling, but no one else was around, so it would suffice.

As their eye-in-the-sky slipped from the room, they were surprised at how well the 'cloak of invisibility' (as they'd taken to calling it,) worked. And, the motors of the drone were incredibly quiet. As long as they kept it near the ceiling, didn't bump anything, and made sure nobody stared straight at it, no one would ever notice.

And, how many people went around staring at ceilings?

* * *

Dash wandered down the halls, staring at the ceiling. He was looking for one of the school's many geeks, hoping they could tell him a little bit about alien abductions and the like. Meanwhile, he kept an eye on the upper-part of the hallway, just in case he stumbled upon his hero.

 _||Maybe it wasn't aliens. Maybe I just got overshadowed, again. By, like, a psychic ghost, or something. Yeah, I like that idea better.||_

Suddenly, he thought he saw something moving overhead.

 _||Phantom?||_ He thought.

" _Phantom?_ " He whispered, out loud, this time. But, the little blur didn't stop.

 _||Man, do all ghosts look like this, when they're invisible? How do we not notice them? Or, is it just 'cause he's all loopy?||_ He wondered, following carefully after what was probably his delusional hero.

* * *

Lester stood in the doorway of the nurse's office, watching Nurse Allison treat the two ghost-huntresses, while he prepared for the inevitable questions. Though, he knew the woman was aware of, at least, part of what happened, since she'd already treated Tetslaff and several students who were injured in the evacuation stampede.

 _||Stampede. That's a good word for it. Maybe 'herd' is an accurate term, around here,||_ Lester nearly snorted.

"Aaannnd, done," The medic-lady said, turning away from Sam, once she'd finished wrapping one of the girl's burns. "Thankfully, none of their injuries are too serious. (Well, not for this town.) Alright, Mr. Schwartz. What the heck happened?" She asked, casually, leaning back against the counter and folding her arms.

 _||Here goes,||_ He thought, taking a deep breath.

"We were in P.E., when Gray crashes through the doors, being chased by _The Box Ghost_ , of all creatures," He said, with understandable disbelief. "Everyone starts running and screaming. Clark, Mike, Danny, and I hid behind the bleachers, and saw Stu passed out on the other side of the room. I guess he fainted. Then, he woke up, screamed, ran into the door frame, and left. Meanwhile, Manson and Gray are in the middle of the room, dodging blasts from the ghost. Clark and Mike left their ecto-weapons in their bags, in the locker room. Danny likely had some, but everyone knows he's _terrified_ of ghosts."

 _||Or, at least, he's got everyone_ _convinced_ _he is. Pretty genius, actually. Who's gonna suspect a phasmophobe of being a ghost.||_

"I had mine on me, but couldn't find a way to help, without getting fried." True, technically. No need to bring in his semi-paralyzing fear and near-nervous-breakdown.

" _The Box Ghost_ did all that damage?" Someone asked from behind him. He whirled around, and came face-to-face with **_heaven_**. "Are you _serious_?" Carson Chaney tucked a neon-blue lock of hair behind one studded ear.

"I- Uh- H-Hi, Carson. I mean -" He leaned on the door frame, trying not to tower too high above the Sophomore. "- Chaney. 'Sup?" The girl blew a bubble with her gum, slowly, as he spoke.

* * *

In a darkened classroom, on the other end of the school, two geeks sat, training their drone-cam on their friend, snickering at his attempts to be chill. Meanwhile, beneath the drone, Dash Baxter stood just outside of the camera's sight-line, doing the same.

* * *

 ***Pop***

Les, miraculously, resisted the urge to flinch, when Carson's gum popped. "You were seriously in there, when it happened? The entire gym is completely trashed. Pretty hardcore, man," She smirked, punching him in the shoulder and heading off.

 _||She smiled at me! She actually smiled at me! This is better than Zero-G's! I don't even need Danny's rocket to fly! I can do it on my own!||_ He thought, bouncing in place, slightly.

"Later, Schwartz," Carson called, throwing him a peace-sign over her shoulder.

 _||Play it cool, Les. No need to look like a_ _complete_ _dweeb.||_

He stopped bouncing, clearing his throat. "Yeah, later," He called back, trying to keep the pure elation out of his voice.

Ducking into the nurse's office and noticing he was alone, as Nurse Allison had gone to the supply closet, Lester took this opportunity to do a little happy-dance. "Best. Day. **_EVER_**!"

Behind him, Manson groaned, stirring. Lester froze, mid-dance-move. "Wha-" The girl groaned, sitting up and holding her head. She looked around, still obviously dazed.

"Y- ...You're having a dreeeeamm," Lester said, wiggling his fingers in the air, mystically. "Go back to sleep. Dreeeeeaamm."

Manson looked at him as if he were stupid, then snorted. "Whatever, Lester." Then, she laid back down and rolled over. Soon enough, the girl was out like a light, and Gray was snoring loud enough to wake the - Well, you know.

* * *

Unbeknownst to the geek in the nurse's office, or the jock spying on him, the two shorter geeks Les called his friends were on the floor of the AV closet, cackling.

"Jungle boogers!" Danny shouted, happily.

* * *

"Dude, what are we even doing here?" Dash asked the 'ghost' on the ceiling. But, he got no reply. This had been funny when the tall geek was making a fool of himself in front of the Chaney twerp, but, now that Dash was just watching Schwartz watch Manson and Gray, it was getting really boring.

"Phantom?" He hopped up, trying to reach the blur, but it suddenly jerked out of his reach.

* * *

Meanwhile, Clark and Mikey were having a slight panic attack. "What's Dash doing!? How does he know we're there!?" Mikey whisper-shouted, panicking.

"I don't kno- Left! Go left!" Clark replied.

"I'm trying! Keep your shirt on!" The little drone jerked upwards, and sped down the hall, as Mike and Clark sighed in relief. "See? Nothin' to worry about," The redhead said, feigning confidence.

Then, the screen shook, violently, and they screamed, as they found themselves staring into Dash Baxter's eyes. "Hey, you're not Phantom! What is this thing!?"

* * *

"Whoa!" Dash yelled, as the little whatever-it-was in his hands jerked towards the ceiling, pulling him off the ground. Then, it wrenched itself out of his grip, causing some kind of cloth to tear away from it, and he found himself sitting in the floor. He looked up at the little, blurry thing, as it flew down the hall. "Hey! Wait a minute!" He started to chase after it, but, by the time he rounded the corner, it was gone.

Finally, he looked at the tiny piece that had torn off, turning it over in his hands. After a moment, he found a familiar logo. "...Hey! This is Fentwerp's freaky parents' stuff!"

* * *

Les made his way back towards the AV closet, which had become the Geek Squad's unofficial HQ, only to barely miss running into Baxter. "Whoa!" The bully shouted, as something in his hands yanked him up off the ground. But, before Les could decide if this was another ghost attack, he remembered Mike's plan for the drone. Sure enough, a tiny piece of his 'cloak of invisibility' tore off in Dash's hand, and the bully fell to the floor. Les was just surprised the little toy was so strong.

The two teens ran off after the spy-cam, Dash still unaware of Les's presence. But, by the time they'd rounded the corner, they'd lost it, (though that didn't much matter, since Les already knew where it was going,) and Baxter stopped in the middle of the hall.

 _||Wait._ _Please_ _, tell me Mike and Clark didn't see me happy-dancing,||_ Les thought, desperately, as he realized that the other two had probably tested the cam out on him.

"Hey! This is Fentwerp's freaky parents' stuff!"

Lester ran.

* * *

After the taller redhead had returned to the geek's HQ, (and his so-called 'friends' had stopped laughing at him,) the three sat down to plan out their next move.

"I don't like it-"

"We don't have a lot of options here, Les," Mike interjected.

"- _But_ ," Lester stressed. "I think we should go for it, anyway."

" _Really_?" Clark seemed surprised anyone was on board with his idea. Truth be told, he'd started having doubts about it, himself, ever since he'd said it out loud.

"Really," The tallest geek assured. "We have to do _something_. I'm afraid we're running out of time, here. And, for Danny's sake, we need to get this thing moving. It's only 11:15. Lunch is next, an it's not mandatory. So, we've got almost two hours to get there and back. We should have plenty of time, if we take Mike's four-wheelers."

"My Dad's not gonna be happy about this," The shortest geek muttered. One of the four-wheelers belonged to his father, and they would need to take both. "What about Danny? It's not like we can take him with us," He pointed out.

"We'll have to leave him with Jazz. You're right. We can't take him along. Not there. As much as I try to rely on proof, rather than instincts, I don't think Jazz is involved," Les reasoned. Clark looked relived. He really didn't want the pretty librarian to be one of the bad guys.

"Buffalo Kid!" The green-eyed teen's possible, future brother-in-law shouted, running up to them, and shoving a little, toy knight into his hand. "Blanket the tarmac with raisins, and let the solar-tsunami begin!" He said, like a sports announcer. Well, at least he seemed _slightly_ more lucid. Though, they'd thought that before. It never lasted long.

Mikey sighed. "I hate to admit it, but I think he's right." Clark waved the little ghost-toy around, without looking, as Danny had his own toy pretend to fight it. "But, are we _sure_ we can't go to Mr. Lancer?" The shorter redhead added, hopefully.

"I want to," Les said. "I have no doubt he'd be on our side. But, if he tells us to leave this alone, things could take a very bad turn. We're just going to have to be men about this. And, real men take risks, outside of strategy games. Especially, when it involves protecting a friend." The other looked at each other, then nodded.

And, with that, the geeks set off for the library.

* * *

 **AN: Hey, everybody! :)**

 **This is, very possibly, my _least_ favorite chapter, in this entire series. But, it was, sorta, necessary, so I hope it wasn't too intolerable. :(**

 **I have no idea if Tucker's mom really is a real estate agent, or if she even works, but this is what I'm going with :)**

 **But, the good news is, next chapter is what I'm calling 'the beginning of the end'! Things are gonna get really weird :)**

 **As always,**  
 **God bless, and I hope you enjoyed! :)**  
 **\- Ellie**


	32. 31: The Fourth Period Protocol

**Chapter 33:**  
 **The Fourth Period Protocol**

* * *

As much as he hated to admit it, Mike was feeling a lot better about leaving Danny with Jazz. She'd seemed so worried about him. Not just worried that his secret would get out, - She obviously knew, judging by the tentative questions she'd asked the geeks - but actually _concerned_ for his well-being. Maybe he really had been too quick to judge. At least, with her. But, it would take a whole lot to convince him of the others' intentions. And, so, with his mind put semi-at-ease, he turned his focus to more immediate matters.

"Why do Clark and I have to share a four-wheeler? Why can't I have my own?"

"Because, neither of you will fit on the same one, with me, 'cause I'm a _stinkin'_ _ **giant**_ ," Les reasoned, irritably.

"I don't even like four-wheelers. They're even worse than chickens," Clark muttered.

"What if you were on a four-wheeler, being chased by a horde of chickens? Which one would be worse?"

"I don't kno-"

"Guys, we're wasting daylight!"

* * *

Jazz sat in the library, watching her delusional brother fight off a nap. He was doing his best to finish the coloring page she'd handed him, but kept drifting off, while sitting straight up.

Mikey, Lester, and Clark had wandered in, a few minutes after lunch started. At first, she'd figured they were coming to do some kind of research, while the bullies were all in the cafeteria. But, then she'd seen Danny wandering along behind them. They told her about the incident in the gym, and assured her that Sam and Valerie had explained her brother's 'condition' to them, earlier.

She was absolutely positive that Sam would never just tell Danny's secret, like that. And, she was even more positive that the goth would _kill_ Valerie, if The Huntress ever tried to tell anyone. So, the only explanation was that they had come up with a believable-enough lie.

So, why hadn't they bothered to inform _her_ , so they could keep their stories straight?

"Alchemy doughnuts build bridges to the kingdom of Archibald the Pruney," The ghost-boy said, grinning and scribbling wildly, at least one crayon in each hand.

"No, no, Danny," She scolded, lightly, getting his hand. "We don't color on the tables."

"Waltzing purple canopies! Loop-de-loop, again, on the Mayflower!" The Ghost-Boy dropped his crayons and flapped his arms, trying to fly off, for the twelfth time. He didn't get far, though. Jazz had already tied him to the table's bench with the _Fenton Suspenders_ , and he was _not_ happy about it.

"Danny," She said, calmly. "We don't shout in the library. We have to be quiet." Her brother whimpered, pathetically, tugging at his glowing, green belt. He looked up at his sister, tears in his eyes. He was getting cranky.

"Turkey Leg. Popcorn dolphin. Apple cedar goober farm."

"You can't go flying, yet. You have to stay here, with me." The boy whimpered, again.

"Yo, Dipstick!" A familiar voice shouted, as a certain, blue-haired ghost flew in, through the back wall. "A little box-obsessed birdie told me that you've got a core cold. And, I was bored, so I figured it'd be a good time to come see the show." Jazz whipped out her ecto-gun, training it on the rocker-ghost. "Oh, please." She said, before nonchalantly blasting the weapon out of the redhead's hand.

Little did Ember know, there was a full-on meltdown in her very-near future. Her blast had also fried Danny's coloring book.

The little ghost-boy looked at his picture, then turned back to the older ghost. Green flames filled his eyes and licked up around his body, as he growled. "Munchy tuba-player LIGHTHOUSE!"

"Huh?"

* * *

The Geek Squad huddled behind a bush, in the woods, on the outskirts of town. Lester peered out at the building before them, through a pair of binoculars, while Mike got the spy-drone ready, and Clark carefully hacked into the large building's systems.

"Clark, have you got it, yet? I don't like being this close," Les muttered, keeping a close eye on the front doors.

"I'm doing my best," Clark near-growled, though his hatefulness was directed more at his task, than at his friend. "I can't leave any evidence that we've been he-."

 ***Thud***

The ground shook beneath the boys, slightly. "What are you children doing here?" The ghost they'd heard called 'Skulker' asked, seeming genuinely confused. "Don't you know the G.I.W. are dangerous, even to humans?"

He was right, of course. But, they'd been extra careful to set up their base camp outside of the Demons' security grid, since Clark had managed to get the blueprints only a minute after they'd arrived. (Apparently, their security wasn't that great. There were just so many of them, it was tricky to access their systems, without being noticed.) Besides, they weren't going in. Not yet. Not unless all other options were voided. Well-Intentioned: they were. Heroes: they would love to be. Fighters: they were not. Right now, they were just staking out the grounds and gathering information, hoping to find some kind of evidence from a distance.

"Well, no matter," The mechanical ghost said, smugly. He reached down, easily picking Lester up by his shirt collar. "Where is the ghost-child?"

"I-" Les swallowed. Did he mean Phantom? "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't play dumb, with me. I _know_ he was with you, earlier."

"Danny?" Mike asked, without thinking, then covered his mouth.

"Yes! My employer is growing impatient with me! Tell me where he is!"

 _||So, Danny has the same nickname as Danny Phantom? I guess it makes sense. They're both ghosts and they're both children. Come to think of it, Skulker called him 'Whelp', in Jonesie's class, too.||_ Lester thought, trying not to panic. He shrugged these thoughts off, though. Skulker was weird, even for a ghost.

"Employer?" Mikey asked, way-too-calmly. "So, you're, like, an assassin? A gun-for-hire?"

 _||What are you doing?||_ Les wondered, frantically. Danny and Phantom were both proof that not all ghosts were evil, but talking, nonchalantly, to someone who was attacking your best friend was a big no-no, in his opinion. No matter their species.

"The Ghost Zone's Greatest Hunter is _not_ an assassin!" The mechanical ghost defended, haughtily. "I am a hunter. We have more honor than to kill for money."

Then, Les saw it. Clark was creeping around behind the ghost, ecto-gun in-hand, trying to get a clear shot, without hitting his friends. Mike was trying to distract him. "Then, why do you have an employer?" Lester near-snarked, glaring and clutching at the metal hand gripping him. He yelped, slightly, as he was jerked towards the hunter's face.

Skulker growled, deeply, glaring back. "I was not sent to _kill_ the boy. Merely to _capture_ him. He is vital to my employer's plan."

"And, who is your employer?" Mikey asked, obnoxiously, signaling Clark to hold his fire for a moment. Les hated to agree, but this could be a good chance to get some information. No matter how terrifying it was.

Skulker's free hand grabbed the front of Mike's shirt, holding him up next to Lester. "Vlad Plasmius, child. Someone you do not want to cross." The ghost grew visibly more annoyed, with each word the shortest geek spoke. Mike could have that effect on people, when he wanted to.

One of Clark's eyebrows twitched, and he was obviously itching to pull the trigger, but Les motioned for him to wait a few more seconds.

"Wait. His first name is 'Vlad'? Like the mayor?" Mike asked, confused. Clark gasped, slightly. But, thankfully, the ghost didn't seem to hear.

"Yes, child! Are you that dense!?"

"But, not the same Vlad. Right?" Mike asked, tentatively.

 _||No, Mike. Your paranoia levels are high enough, as it is. And, this whole life-in-danger thing is making them skyrocket._ _Don't_ _make any real decisions, until your head is clear.||_ Les thought at his friend, wishing, for the world, that he had telepathy. He knew where Mike was going, but there was no way the mayor was a ghost. Creepy, yes. Dead, no.

 _||Besides, Masters is friends with the Fentons, and surely they would've noticed. Just like they must already know about Danny. Vlad is running free, but, for all we know, Danny's pretty-much a prisoner in his own home. Always being watched by someone. Never on his own, no matter where he goes. Manson, Gray, Foley. One of them is always with him.||_ He thought, this time directed at the near-panicking Clark. And, it was true. Danny was never even left alone with Jazz, which only made Les feel better about his decision to trust the little ghost with the librarian.

But, apparently, Skulker didn't care about the redheaded geek's attempts to telepathically keep his friends calm. And, Clark didn't care about his completely-logical, think-things-through-and-don't-make-any-rash-decisions-while-you're-panicking policy.

"Yes, Child! How many times do I have to say it!?" The ghost shouted, losing his temper.

"Wait. Seriously?" Les asked, confusion etched into his features. The ghost didn't get a chance to answer, though, as Clark fired. Skulker lost his grip on the two teens, as he was hit. They landed on their backsides, in the grass, just before the metallic ghost's head landed in the shorter boy's lap.

Mike screamed. Then, Les and Clark screamed. Then, Mike screamed, again, and threw the head away from himself. It hit a tree, and rolled across the ground, two tiny, green feet sticking out the bottom of it, kicking angrily. "I'll get you, you little whelps! Skulker shall have his vengeance!" A small, squeaky voice, with a speech pattern that was, admittedly, a lot like Skulker's, shouted.

The three boys leaned in, for a closer look, then turned to each other.

Surely, it couldn't be that ridiculous. Not even in Amity.

* * *

Valerie woke up, groggily, and looked around. It was several moments before she recognized the room she was in as the school nurse's office, and several more before she remembered _why_ she was in the school nurse's office. "Danny! Oh, my gosh! **Danny!** " She screamed, jumping off the bed. Then, she leaned back against it, on one elbow, as the probable slight concussion she'd suffered worked its evil magic on her sense of balance.

Once she could see straight again, she looked around the room, hoping to find the little ghost-boy. But, instead, she found Sam.

" **Sam!** Sam, wake up! **We have to find Danny!** " She screamed, again, stumbling over to the other ghost-hunter's bed.

"Mmmm. Five more minutes, Mom." The goth mumbled, rolling over, and folding her pillow over one ear. Then, she sat straight up. "Danny!? What about Danny!?" She looked at Valerie, frantic.

"He's gone, again!"

"What!? How did you lose him!?"

"We _both_ lost him! When Boxy attacked! Remember!?"

"Oh, my gosh! **Danny!** " Sam screamed, scrambling out of her own bed.

 ***Boom***

 ***Crash***

Suddenly, a loud explosion shook the floor. The girls headed in its direction.

To find a ghost, just look for the chaos.

* * *

Jazz glanced at her little brother, out of the corner of her eye. At the moment, he was sitting in the floor, glaring at a childrens' find-it book, - One of the few books that had survived the Ember debacle - but was still being generally quiet. She, Sam, and Valerie grinned, nervously, as he tried to fight the knights in the picture, praying that the teachers wouldn't turn around and notice. Before, he'd been sleepy, but his fight with Ember had, apparently, given him his second wind. The four teens' clothing was torn and dusty, and the state of the library around them was (according to Jonesie) almost as bad as the gym.

" _Calamity_ , Miss Fenton! What, _on earth_ , happened, here!?" Mr. Lancer cried, turning back to her. The girls tried to ignore the fact that he'd shouted the title of a book all three of them had actually read, even though it had never been a school assignment.

Jazz took a deep, calming breath. She stepped forward from between the two younger ghost-huntresses, on either side of her, straightened herself, squared her shoulders, looked her former-teachers and current-bosses in the eyes, and told them the absolute truth.

"A ghost did it."

* * *

"Are you sure this is gonna work?" Clark asked, nervously, as Lester screwed the lid onto the jar they'd just finished (theoretically) ghost-proofing, using information they'd found on the internet.

"No. But, what other choice do we have? We can't just let him run loose," Les reasoned.

"Especially, when he's after Danny," Mike added.

"But, what if it can't hold him?" The dark-haired geek insisted.

"LET ME OUT OF HERE, YOU LITTLE WHELPS!" Skulker shouted from inside the jar. He banged his tiny fists on the glass, but nothing came of it.

"Guess that answers that question," Mike noted.

"Hey! HEY! Don't put me in there! LET ME OUT!" The ghost protested, as Lester zipped him into his backpack, before shrugging it over his shoulders.

"Yep," The tallest geek replied. "Let's go. We've got fifteen minutes to get back to school."

* * *

"You're just a spoon in a sea of mayonnaise!" Ellie shouted, angrily, pointing at Tucker.

"Why do I feel so insulted!? That doesn't even make any sense!" The techno-geek cried, clutching the sides of his beret, and pulling it down over his eyes. The little ghost-girl just folded her arms, smirking down at him, vindictively, from her place on the ceiling.

Then, the front door opened.

Panicked, Tucker dove for the light switch, hoping that drowning the room in darkness would keep whoever was coming in from noticing the little girl over whom gravity had no hold.

"Tucker?" A familiar, female voice asked, tentatively, as the sound of footsteps entered and headed towards the light switch on the other side of the room.

 ***Click***

The lights came on.

"Oh. Jazz. It's just you." He breathed, as the three teenaged girls and the youngest Fenton entered. "Wait, why aren't you guys at school? It's only fifteen-to-one."

"Ghostly activity was deemed 'extraordinarily high' at the school's location, and it was called off, for the remainder of the week," Sam smirked, walking over to stand under the ghost-girl on the roof. "Hey, Ellie. Want a popsicle? It's bubblegum flavored," She offered, holding the pink desert out for her to see, and licking her own purple one.

"Snarky mongoose," The little halfa answered, floating down to take the frozen treat from the goth girl.

Tucker jumped, as he noticed that Jazz was suddenly standing beside him. "Brought you one, too," She said, holding another pop out to him.

"Oooh. Green apple. My favorite," He grinned, recovering, and the six kids sat down to enjoy their fruity ice-sticks.

"So, seriously, ghosts attack the school, every day. What could've possibly happened, that could get everyone sent home?" He asked. Then, he remembered Danny. "Oh, yeah," He mumbled, looking at his best friend.

The older halfa was next to him on the couch, leaned back against his sister, happily sucking on his popsicle, as Jazz tried to wipe away the red juice dripping down his chin. "Eagle eye fountain squash."

"Yep," Sam confirmed, smirking.

"Apparently, Danny, Skulker, Ember, and Boxy have destroyed a grand total of forty-six percent of the school, in the past three days," Valerie supplied.

The techno-geek whistled. "Impressive. High-five, Buddy." He held his hand out to the smaller teen, who slapped it. Tucker immediately regretted this decision, releasing a humiliatingly-girlish squeak. It didn't hurt, but it did leave him incredibly sticky.

"African gourmet igloo races."

"That's nice, Buddy," The techno-geek said, wiping his hand on his already-ruined shirt, as the others chuckled.

The teens soon fell into a semi-comfortable silence. It was still weird having Valerie around, but not necessarily in a bad way.

"Soooo," Jazz dragged out, finally. "I saw Dash and Kwan run into each other, head-first, today..."

"...I saw Box Ghost cry like a baby," Valerie grinned, wickedly.

"...I saw an adorable, little ghost-girl transform into a _**terrifying**_ _ **DEMON**_ , before my very eyes," Tucker supplied, seeming a bit traumatized.

"...Well, _I_ saw Tetslaff and Jonesie making out in the hall, during homeroom," Sam added, seeming half-disgusted and half-proud of her find. She would never look at those teachers the same way, again.

"WHAT!?" The others screeched. Poor Danny and Ellie had to cover their ears.

* * *

"What do you mean 'school's canceled'?" Lester asked, worriedly, staring at his English teacher.

"We've had too many ghost attacks, the past few days. More than usual. So, the Casper High faculty has decided that, for the safety of everyone, we should take the rest of the week off, and allow whatever is angering these creatures to take care of itself," Mr. Lancer explained, concerned. "How did you not know about this? It was announced over the speakers, nearly an hour ago."

"Uh..." Les started.

"We..." Mike tried.

"We skipped lunch, to go to Mikey's house and get the homework he forgot to bring, this morning," Clark supplied, suddenly.

"Oh," Lancer seemed just as surprised as the redheads were. "Well, you should let one of the teachers know, before you leave school-grounds, in the middle of the day. I know the people of Amity Park are fairly lax about letting their children wander around on their own, but ghosts aren't the only dangerous things out there." The overweight teacher seemed fairly content with the affirmatives he received from the boys, and let the matter slide. They were glad. Usually, the Geek Squad would be disappointed about missing school. But, today, they had more important things to deal with.

* * *

"One rug to rule them all, one rug to halfa-milk," Danny said, flapping his blanket-cape and jumping off what was left of the Foleys' couch. He seemed to have forgotten he could fly, again, because, half a second later, he landed on his face. "Procrastination!" He declared into the carpet, raising one finger into the air.

" _Halfa-Milk?_ " Valerie asked, somewhat disgusted.

"I don't even wanna know," Sam deadpanned.

"Danny, do you wanna come play castles with El- I mean, Princess Crayon?" Jazz asked. The older halfa stared at her for a moment. He was doing that creepy thing, again.

"...Turkey Leg ate my socks." Then, it was gone.

"I. DID. NOT. EAT. YOUR. SOCKS," The redhead whispered, irritably, recovering from the impromptu staring contest, fairly quickly. "Now, get over here, and play with you clone." The ghost-boy did as he was told, sitting down near Ellie. Then, he reached into what must've been an invisible portal of some kind and pulled out his castle from the night before, along with several of his ice-toys.

Well, that was new.

The others (minus Ellie) stared at him, for several moments, before shrugging it off. Really, nothing should surprise them, at this point.

"What's wrong?" Valerie asked, noticing Sam's expression.

"Hold on. I've got an idea," She replied, cryptically. She stood, walking over to her backpack, pulled out her thermos, and tapped one nail against the side. "Ember? Can you hear me, in there?"

"...Yeah. So, what?" The ghost replied, snarkily.

"What do you know about core colds?"

Ember snorted. "What does any ghost worth their ectoplasm _not_ know about core colds? They're only the most common sickness in the Zone."

The goth girl gritted her teeth. "Right. So, what does it mean if a ghost with a core cold stares at someone, like they're going to _eat their soul_ , then says something really random."

The rocker-ghost scoffed. "As if I'd tell _you_ , Peaches."

Sam glared at the odd device in her hands, looking like she might strangle it, along with the ghost inside. "Airplane tutors!" Ellie shouted, on the other side of the room. The goth turned to her, then grinned. "Oh, really?" She asked, slyly. She walked over to the tiny ghost-girl, who was now playing with Danny's ice-castle. "Hey, Elle?" The little girl looked at her. "See this?" She held the thermos out.

"What're you doing?" Ember asked, tentatively.

"Masking tape dummies."

"If you shake it, really hard, it'll make funny noises. Try it," Sam said, holding the device out for Team Phantom's youngest member.

"Don't you da- **EEEEEE**!" Ember screamed, as the smallest halfa shook the container, giggling, innocently.

"So, Em, Had enough?" Sam asked, a few minutes later, leaning in towards the thermos, while Ellie was taking a breather.

"Okay, okay! And, you think _I'm_ evil..." The rocker took a deep breath, and sighed. "It's called a terrent. It's Latin for 'scare'. Ghosts do it when they have a core cold. No one really knows why. Most people figure it's a defense mechanism, since the ghosts who do it are all delusional and can't really fight, and whoever's getting stared at is too freaked out to do much, either."

"Thank you," Sam said, before shoving the thermos back into her bag, while Ellie was distracted.

"Hey! Don't just leave me in-" They missed the rest of Ember's protest, as Sam zipped her backpack shut.

* * *

"Turtle Tank, make the walrus throw up a lampshade!" Danny shouted, happily, on the other side of the Foleys' window. Mike was crouching just outside, watching carefully. Les and Clark were back at the Reubens' place, sorting out the new information they'd acquired and preparing for their mission that night.

 _||I hope we were wrong. And, I hope we can do something to fix whatever's been done to Danny,||_ The short redhead thought. He added ' _Turtle Tank - Valerie Gray_ ' to the list of Danny-translations Les had started in his notepad. The Huntress took the ice-cow offered to her and proceeded to attack it with...

 _||Wait. Is that an ice-sculpture of Jack Fenton?||_ Mike shook his head, making more notes, as the ghost cheered the Huntress on.

Man, that was weird.

"French fry paste on the water slide!" The little girl who looked like Danny shouted, smashing an ice-dragon into the pile of other ice-sculptures Danny had stacked up, causing them to scatter.

"Mango tornado drove a llama spout to yell!" Danny protested. At least, Mike _assumed_ he was protesting. The ghost certainly didn't _sound_ happy that the kid had ruined his tower and sent his toys flying.

 _||Who is that girl? Why does she look like Danny? Why does she have the same symptoms as him?||_

Danny tried to take his big dragon (which seemed to be his favorite figurine) back, and the girl sent an ecto-ray at him.

 _An ecto-ray_.

 _||She's a ghost. Oh, man. But, she's so little. How old is she? How old_ _was_ _she? What happened to her? Was it the Fentons? Did they ever have another kid?||_ Mikey thought he might cry.

Then, his phone vibrated. It was Les. "Here," He whispered, trying to hide the quaver in his voice.

"We need to get to town hall. Now."

* * *

Vlad Masters stood in his office, rapidly jumping from calm to furious. One could watch the emotions flickering by in his eyes and body language, at lightning speed. And, it was getting progressively worse, as time dragged on.

" **WHERE IS THAT** ** _IDIOT_** **, SKULKER**!? **HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE** ** _AGES_** **AGO**! But, I can be patient. I'm a patient man. **BUT, WHEN ONE IS** ** _PAYING_** **SOMEONE TO ACCOMPLISH THE SIMPLE TASK OF** ** _RETRIEVING A CHILD_** **, ONE EXPECTS** \- No. You already knew that Skulker was an incompetent moron. It doesn't matter. We're not on a time limit, here. **AND, THAT** ** _BOY_** **HAD THE** ** _AUDACITY_** **TO CONTRACT A COLD, WHICH MAKES HIM DELIRIOUS, WHILE** ** _I_** **AM TRYING TO EXECUTE MY BRILLIANT PLAN**! Some people have no consideration for the feelings of others."

* * *

The three boys watching the mayors office through their newly-repaired spy-drone looked at each other.

"...Is- ...Is he even stable?" Clark asked.

"I've heard of mood swings, but seriously..." Les breathed.

"How did this not show up, during the polls?" Mike wondered.

" **MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAHAAAAAA**!" The teens jumped, as maniacal laughter erupted from the tiny speakers of Mikey's phone. They stared at the little screen, and were momentarily blinded, as a bright, white flash appeared, completely throwing off the white balance.

"What's going on!? Where'd he go!?" Clark whisper-shouted.

"I don't know!"

"What was that flash?"

" **MWAHAHAHAHAAAAA**!" Their virtual vision returned. But, rather than their town's mayor, the screen was filled with the image of what the boys could only guess was a ghost-vampire. He had same build as Masters, but his skin was blue, his hair black, and two dangerous-looking fangs poked from beneath his smirking lips. Before the boys could recover, there was a knock on the door. The flash returned, and the screen went white, again. "Come in," Masters called.

"Mayor Masters, your 1:30 is here," A disembodied woman's voice stated, blandly.

"Thank you, Beatrix. I'll be right there." The woman left, and the images on the screen slowly returned, the colors now flickering and altered to look like a film negative. As the contrast adjusted itself back to its normal settings, the geeks in the bushes watched the vampiric figure before them, now without fangs, fade away, slowly becoming the person their unbelievably-oblivious town had elected mayor. "I will get you, Daniel. You will be mine," He said to the empty room, threateningly. And, with that, he left.

Mike was the first to recover. "I _told_ you he was creepy!"

"We never denied it!"

* * *

 **AN: So, that just happened...**

 **Hey, everybody! :)**

 **Well, here it is. The beginning of the end. I'd tell you how many chapters left, but I'm not sure I won't split the longer ones up. It'll probably be three or four, though :) Then, we're on to book three (If i can actually get any of it written, because the procrastination bug got me and he has a very strong grip.)**

Everybody reading this: "No! Ellie, not another one!" *Throws tomatoes*

Ellie: "I'm sorry! But, this one'll probably be really short, seriously." *Grins nervously and hides*

 **Okay, so, **I'm on the fence about the confrontation between Skulker and the geeks. I like it, but something seems off. Like it might've moved too fast. But, I do love how that last part turned out :) Anywho, lemme know what you guys think :)****

 **I do not own** ** _Calamity_** **by Brandon Sanderson, or any of** ** _The Reckoners_** **books. But, I do love them. And, I might have a** ** _tiny_** **character-crush on David. ;)**

 **Janelle Sy: I couldn't reply to your review, but I was talking about packing tape. Boxy actually uses bubble wrap, in the show :)**

 **As always,  
God bless, and I hope you enjoyed! :)  
\- Ellie**


	33. 32: The Conversation

**Chapter 32:**  
 **The Conversation**

* * *

Sam and Valerie sat in the goth girl's bedroom, relatively peacefully, aside from the occasional snark from Sam. Valerie was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that the Mansons were richer than Paulina, and Ellie was playing with some of the violet-eyed girl's old toys.

 ***Ring, Ring, Ring***

"Hello?" Valerie answered her phone.

"Jazz?" Sam answered, at the same time, sitting across the room from her.

"Mm?" The girls heard their techno-geek friend's drowsy voice join the four-way call.

"Tucker?" The dark-haired girls asked.

"Hm? Yeah? What is it?" He replied, obviously still asleep.

"Guys," Jazz said, gaining their attention. "My parents know about Danny."

" _ **WHAT**_!?" The younger teens replied, all fully-awake, now.

"But, it's okay, because they're cool with it," The redhead rushed, as the others relaxed, slightly.

"How did they find out?" Tuck asked.

"Well..."

* * *

 _Two hours earlier..._

Jazz finally brought Danny home, around three o'clock, while Sam and Valerie took Ellie to the Mansons', so poor Tucker could get some rest. The librarian crept in the front door, checking around for any sign of her parents. When all turned up clear, she tugged her babbling brother towards the stairs. "Carousel. The lemon trees are dancing. Turkey Leg ate my socks."

"Why did you eat his socks?" Their mother asked, appearing in the kitchen doorway.

" **I DIDN'T EAT HIS SOCKS**!" The younger redhead shouted, then paused, as realization hit her. "Wait. How did you know I was Turkey Leg?"

Then, realization seemed to hit her mother. "What? _Oh_... Did he say ' _Turkey Leg_ '? I thought he said... Uh... Um..." The woman tried to recover, then turned to her husband, who had walked up behind her.

"UH..." The big man droned. "'LURKY MEG'? YOU LOOK KINDA LIKE A 'MEG'. AND, I'M SURE YOU'D BE GREAT AT LURKING, IF YOU EVER TRIED." The parents grinned, nervously.

"Perfume keg," Danny said, now wandering around the room, aimlessly, since Jazz had let go of his hand in her surprise.

Jack brightened. "PERFUME KEG! THAT'S WHAT I MEANT TO SAY! PHEW! IS WHAT YOU'RE WEARING **LOUD**! THANKS, DANNY-BOY!"

Jazz wasn't convinced. "I'm not wearing perfume, Dad. Do you guys _know_?"

"Dingos in the dresser drawer."

The parents looked at each other. "...THAT OUR SON IS THE GHOST-BOY. YEAH. WE FIGURED IT OUT, MONDAY," Her father admitted, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand, sheepishly. So, that's where Danny got it.

"We were waiting for _him_ to tell _us_ ," Her mother clarified. "Oh, Danny. I'm so sorry," She said, pulling the delusional boy into a hug, though she knew he couldn't understand anything she was saying.

"Apple cider in the pool, and the mountain goat fried some chicken."

"My poor, sweet, little, baby boy," She cooed, petting his head. He just smiled and leaned into her hand. "I made you sick. I hunted you. We've only known for a few days, but it's no excuse. I'm your _mother_. I looked into my own baby's eyes, and didn't recognize him," She said, her voice wavering and tears pricking in her eyes.

"Mom," Jazz placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, as Jack joined them. "I didn't recognize him, either. Not until I saw him transform. And, I always thought comic books were so ridiculous, making it look like a widely-known figure could put on some glasses, and no one would realize they were also this _other_ widely-known figure, even though they could be twins. Apparently, there was some merit to that theory, after all. Change your hair and eye color, and people think you're someone else."

"WELL, THINGS ARE GONNA BE DIFFERENT, FROM NOW ON. NO MORE HIDING. NO MORE SECRETS," Her father said, in his natural, bright, confident way. "FROM HERE ON OUT, DANNY-BOY'S GOT _ALL OF US_ ON HIS SIDE. AND..." He turned to his wife, meeting her gaze. "YOUR MOTHER AND I HAVE BEEN RECONSIDERING OUR THEORIES ON GHOSTS..."

"You have?"

"We're scrapping them," Maddie said, plainly. "As long as there's, at least, _one_ sentient ghost out there, to _tell_ us the facts, we'll just ask him." She pulled her son closer.

"That's great, Mom. But, there's more than one sentient ghost. All of them are sentient. Some of them are just a little unstable."

"What?" Her parents said, together.

"Guys, you do know the _Fenton Ghost-Portal_ comes out two miles from the Ghost Zone Prison, right? Every escaped convict comes straight here." She watched the gravity of that dawn on them.

"SO, ALL THIS TIME, _WE_ WERE LETTING THE BAD GHOSTS IN."

"The good ghosts don't have much interest in coming here," Jazz explained.

"And, the ice cream slid _down_ the mountain," The youngest Fenton said, making whooshing motions with his arms, as the others turned to him. They had almost forgotten about his condition.

"Oh, why did I have to hit him with that stupid ray?" Maddie lamented. "Of all the times to have my aim."

"Well, Frostbite - One of Danny's ghost-allies, who knows a lot about this stuff - says it's just a cold, and it'll go away on its own, within a few days," Jazz explained. "Congratulations, guys," She said, brightly. "You recreated an _actual_ ghost-illness, that you didn't even know existed. I'm pretty sure that's some kind of record."

"Turkey Leg! The paper butterflies stole my calculator!" Danny cried, waving his arms around, wildly.

"Tell them I said to give it back," His sister replied, calmly.

"Are you sure there's nothing we can do?" Her mother asked, petting her son's hair, again.

Danny turned to stare at them. "Potpourri bingo."

"Nope. Nothing but keep giving him medicine and hope that he doesn't sneeze, again," Jazz answered.

"SNEEZE?" Her father asked, in his incredibly-loud, normal speaking-voice.

"He sneezes icicles, now," She said, as though it were the most common reply in the world.

"Oh. Guess we'll just have to wait it out, then," Maddie reasoned, somewhat dazed.

"I'M SURE WE CAN HANDLE IT. NO PROBLEM-O, RIGHT, DANNY-O?" The tiny boy stared up at them, as if seeing them for the first time.

Then, he blinked, tipped his head back, and screamed. "DAAAADDDDDYYYY!"

* * *

"So, after we finally got Danny settled down, he fell asleep, and I explained everything to them. At least, everything I know. I'm sure you guys'll have to fill in some of the gaps I missed," Jazz concluded.

"And, you're _sure_ they're okay with all of this?" Sam asked, almost-suspiciously. "I mean. They _are_ ghost-hunters..."

"I'm absolutely positive," The redhead assured. "They're down in the lab, right now, modifying all of their equipment to ignore Danny. They're fine." She looked over at her sleeping brother, fondly. "In fact, with school called off for the week, I think it'd be okay for Ellie to stay here."

The two teenaged girls in the mansion looked at the little halfa. She was sitting in Sam's bedroom floor, playing tea party with a plastic dinosaur in a tutu, while wearing one of the goth's old skirts as a hat.

"Are you sure? I mean..." She watched the ghost-girl play for another moment. "I don't mind watching her."

"Sammy-Kins?" Her mother called, from outside the door.

 ***Achoo***

And, then, Sam's dresser was on fire.

"On second thought," The goth said, nervously, dropping her phone and rushing to grab the fire extinguisher from the bathroom, while Valerie grabbed the tiny ghost and hid her in the closet.

"Doorbell snitch!" Ellie said, as the violet-eyed girl sprayed the smoking piece of furniture, hoping her mother couldn't hear it the noise.

"Sammy-Kins!?" The woman called, again, knocking.

" _Sammy-Kins?_?" Valerie asked, incredulously.

The goth took a moment to glare, mildly, at her sort-of-friend. "Shut. Up."

" _What_ was that, young lady?" Her mother demanded, through the door.

"Uh... Just a second!" Sam rushed over to the window, opening it to let the smoke out. She could practically _hear_ the woman propping her tiny fists on her hips.

"Sammy-Kins, your father and I are going to a dinner party. Would you like to come?" She asked, the last part sounding as though she really, _really_ wanted the answer to be 'yes'.

"Uh, no thanks, Mom. Uh... Valerie and I are trying to get a head start on a science project we're turning in, next week," She replied, nervously.

"...Well, alright, then," Mrs. Manson sighed. "Let me know, if you change your mind," She added, hopefully. The girls listened to her tiny shoes get all the way down the hall, before releasing their breaths. Val opened the closet door, and Ellie fell out, laying in the floor and staring at the ceiling.

"Donut barbeque. I wanna yarn-bomb a turkey."

Sam picked her phone back up. "Jazz?" She asked, checking that her friend hadn't been cut off.

"I'm still here," The redhead replied.

"What was that?" Tucker asked.

"Ellie Sneezed," Val replied.

"Oh," The techno-geek said, understanding perfectly.

The goth sighed, sadly. "We're on our way."

* * *

"I don't know about this," Mikey said, staring up at the huge door, and trying to ignore the butterflies in his stomach. The boys had just returned from their second bout of spying on Masters, which had convinced them that they didn't have much time left.

"We have to, Mike," Clark insisted. "It may be Danny's only hope."

"But, what if this isn't enough proof?"

"It is, Mike. It'll have to be," Les assured him. Mikey swallowed hard. and nodded. Then, he took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

* * *

The four remaining members of Team Phantom arrived at _FentonWorks_ to find Jack Fenton playing with an ectopus, in the living room.

"HEY, KIDS! WATCH THIS!" He shouted, cheerfully, turning to the ghost. He picked up one of his inventions the kids didn't recognize. "OKAY, MARTY, GO FETCH!" He shouted, throwing the object. The little, silver and green ball flew through the air, but didn't fall. Instead, it turned, and began chasing itself, in a large circle, midair. And, soon enough, the ectopus was chasing after it. "I CALL IT THE _FENTON TAIL-CHASER_. THOUGH, SO FAR, IT'S ONLY USE IS TO TIRE MARTY OUT, SO HE'LL TAKE HIS NAP."

"...You have an ectopus?" Tucker asked, almost warily.

"...You _trained_ an ectopus?" Sam reiterated.

"...You named it 'Marty'?" Val added.

"YEP, YEP, _AND_ YEP! MADS SAYS WE CAN'T KEEP HIM, OF COURSE. HE BELONGS IN THE GHOST ZONE, WITH THE OTHER ECTOPI. BUT, HE'S GOT THE SAME COLD DANNY'S GOT, AND IT'S OUR FAULT FOR GIVING IT TO HIM, SO WE'RE TAKING CARE OF HIM, UNTIL HE'S BETTER," The big man explained, happily.

"Yay! Cardboard tree house!" Ellie shouted, noticing the strange, flying toy and joining Marty.

"UHHH..." Jack droned, surprised. "WHAT WAS THAT?"

"You didn't tell them about Ellie?" Sam asked, almost-accusingly, as Jazz appeared at the top of the stairs.

"I didn't get the chance," The librarian defended. "Dad was all excited about the _Tail-Chaser_."

"Well, at least it's a better name than the _BOO-ger_ ," Tucker muttered, still half-asleep.

"The what, now?" Val asked, next to him.

"Mr. and Mrs. Fenton's invention, that makes ghosts sick," He explained.

"Wait. All of this was started by _them_? With something called a _BOO-ger_?" The huntress wondered, incredulously.

"Yep," Sam, Jazz, and Tucker replied, blandly. It was hardly the strangest thing their town had seen. But, it was definitely on the top-fifty list.

"SERIOUSLY. WHO IS THAT LITTLE GIRL?" Jack asked, again.

"Oh. Ellie's a cyclone," Tucker stated.

"You mean a ' _clone_ '," Sam corrected.

"I know what I said," The teal-eyed boy insisted.

* * *

Jack Fenton sat with his wife, watching Ellie play with Marty, as the kids explained where the little ghost-girl had come from.

The big man's heart had nearly broken, Monday, when he realized that it was no trick. That the Danny with white hair, the Danny he was looking at, was _his_ Danny. That both of them were. That the creature he'd been hunting, all this time, was _his little child_.

And, it had nearly broken, again, when he heard that Danny had a clone. A clone was tantamount to another Danny. Only this one was a little girl. And, if she came from Danny's DNA, and Danny was his child, then she was tantamount to having _another daughter_.

And, the man Jack had previously considered his _friend_ had created this sweet, little angel and _abused_ her. Tried to **_kill_** her. Tried to kill Danny. Tried to kill Jazz. Tried to kill him. Maddie was the only one he hadn't mistreated, in some way. And, he was fairly certain, if he looked hard enough, he'd find that the monster had done that, too.

And, he had _voted_ for that guy.

Well, no more. Vlad was now, officially, considered an enemy. His ecto-signature was entered into the house's defense-system mainframe. And, as far as Jack Fenton was concerned, if that creep ever showed his face around _FentonWorks_ , again, he'd be limping away. If he was _lucky_.

* * *

The older man read and reread the files before him, several times.

"Well, Dad?" Mike finally asked, tentatively.

"What do you think, Mr. General Holloway, sir?" Clark added, nervously, when they received no answer..

The man was quiet, for several long moments.

"...I don't know. But, I'm going to check it out."

* * *

After the kids finished explaining the whole robbery, kidnapping-the-mayor, and Christmas misunderstandings, the Fentons and company had chatted for quite some time. The younger Team Phantom members went over Danny and Ellie's powers and needs, describing the Ghost Zone and the few ghost laws that they knew, and talking about all the secrets the teens had kept from everyone, for so long. But, then, it was getting close to dinner time, and Danny's friends had to get home.

They hated to leave. But, Jazz could handle things, and her parents really seemed genuine about helping them out, so they was sure everything would be fine.

Besides, both halfas were asleep, so they couldn't cause _too much_ trouble. And, the three kids were absolutely _exhausted_ from the past few days. So, they headed home, (all thankful to have gotten there unnoticed,) and collapsed into their own beds.

* * *

 ***Ring, Ring, Ring***

Tucker slapped at the surface of his nightstand, at around midnight, desperately feeling for his noisy phone. He finally opened his eyes, rubbing the sleep from one, as he flipped the communication device open. He squinted at his alarm clock, tilting it to see the screen better without his glasses. "Whoever this is, it is currently way-too-late o'clock, and I-"

"Robo-Panda!" The teal-eyed boy jerked the phone back from his ear, to keep from going deaf. "The tango-waffles stole a box of feathers from the cuddly androids!"

"...That's nice, Buddy. Is Ja- Turkey Leg there?"

"Moooooooo."

"Dan-"

"MOOooooooOOOOoo."

"...Yeah. 'Moo' to you, too, Buddy. Is Turkey Leg awake?" It was a pointless question, really. Tucker could hear the redhead snoring, loudly, in the background. And, it wasn't like his friend could answer coherently, either way.

"...No. Turkey Leg's In alphabet daycare. MOOOOOOOO. Pkoosh!"

 _||How is anybody in that house sleeping through this?||_ He wondered, weakly, rubbing at the place his headache was forming. He listened to his friend babble and make exploding noises, for a few more seconds.

"Daaaanny," He called, gently.

"Rubber boots in the canopy shop! MOOOoooooooooooOOOoOoOooo."

" _Daaaaaannnnny_."

"...Tarmac. Robo-Panda."

"Danny, did you take Turkey Leg's phone?"

"No. Turkey Leg's in alphabet daycare. The fried noodles in the cave are playing bingo with a mongoose, and _aaaaaall_ the corn stalks got painted orange by the king of purple."

"..."

"MoooOOOOOOooooOOOOOO-"

"Danny. _Danny_ ," Tucker called, almost desperately, until the delusional, little ghost, _finally_ , stopped mooing. "Shhhhhhh. It's beddy-bye time."

"Alphabet corner?"

"Yeah, buddy. Can you see your bed?"

"Bed." Tucker could just imagine the confused sixteen-year-old pointing at the piece of furniture, like a toddler learning a new word.

"That's right, Buddy. Bed. Can you lay down in it for me?"

"Japanese soap-bubbles. Yeah." He heard a rustling noise that he _hoped_ was Danny getting under the covers. "Saucer pan."

"Okay, Buddy. You want me to tell you a bedtime story?"

The halfa gasped. "Corgi Atlantis?" He breathed.

"Sure thing, Buddy. Now, lay the phone down next to your pillow, so you can hear me, and close your eyes." He listened until he assumed his friend had done as he'd asked. Then, he laid down, himself, and began listing random, unconnected words, as though they made any sense together. Eventually, he drifted off to sleep, completely unaware of whether Danny had or not.

* * *

When Jazz awoke the next morning, she was less-than-surprised to find her brother asleep in his dresser drawer, snuggling her phone.

She blinked, turned around, and stumbled out to take a shower.

Really, this was nothing too unusual. Even when Danny was lucid.

* * *

 **AN: Well, that was a whole lot of POV changes, for such a short chapter...**

 **Happy (belated) Easter, April Fools Day, and Danny-versary, everybody! :)**

 **Not a bad chapter to post for this week, huh? All fluffy, and family-oriented, and stuff :) I, actually, didn't even know Danny-versary was this week, until I saw Butch Hartman's Danny-versary video on YouTube (which I do not own). You guys should totally check it out, if you haven't already. It's awesome!**

 **Yep, it's all out in the open, now. The Fentons with Team Phantom and the Geeks with Mikey's dad. This should be interesting ;) And, yeah, that might've been a jab at Superman (which I, also, do not own), at the beginning. Don't get me wrong, I like Superman. But, his disguise is not the best XD**

 **Also... Sometimes I feel bad for Mrs. Manson. She really does want to be close to her daughter, she's just having a hard time figuring out how.**

 **Okay, I have no idea why I wrote that last part. It just came to me, one day, and I wrote it down. And, then, I wrote this chapter, and it was too short, and I needed to transition, and I thought "Hey! I can use the 'Moo!' scene!". So, here we are! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did, because I really had way too much fun, there XD**

 **Okay, I know this chapter is kinda short, but I'll make up for it with the rest of the fic. There should be two more chapters to go, and I finally got the first chapter of book three written! Yay! :D *Dodges tomato* Thank you, I can use that to make a pizza :)**

 **Anywho, I'm gonna stop babbling, now :)**

 **As always,  
God bless, and I hope you enjoyed! :)  
\- Ellie**


	34. 33: The Afterlives Of Others

**Chapter 33:**  
 **The Afterlives Of Others**

* * *

 **AN: Okay, about half of this chapter is happy and fluffy, and the other half is dark and violent. If you don't like that kinda stuff, just skip over the parts that aren't about Team Phantom, and you should be fine. (Though, you might be a little lost, come next chapter.) It really shouldn't be too graphic, though, because I can't handle that kinda stuff. I don't think it's anything worse than an episode of** ** _NCIS_** **(which I do not own), but there are mentions of death and gun-use. So, don't like, don't read.**

 **Okie-Doke! Enjoy the show! :)**

* * *

Danny blinked his eyes in the bright sunlight streaming through the window. He stretched, happily, his hands hitting his headboard, and one foot poking out from underneath his blanket. Then, he realized he was practically dying of thirst and drained the cup of water on his nightstand, in record time. He decided not to question why it was in a sippy-cup, or why he was in his ghost-form, _or_ why his little clone/cousin was curled up next to him, until _after_ he was re-hydrated.

 ***Hiccup***

"Great. This again," He moaned, involuntarily transforming, before looking at his bedside clock. "Twenty after seven!? School starts in ten minutes!"

"Huh?" Ellie mumbled, sitting up and rubbing one eye.

 ***Hiccup***

Then, she hiccuped, herself, switching forms and covering her mouth, in surprise.

"Not to worry, children," A familiar, echoing voice assured, as the kids' ghost senses went off, and the entire world around them seemed to come to a screeching halt. "I don't think _time_ will be a problem, today."

"Clockwork?" Danny asked.

"Marshmallow?" The old ghost offered, holding out two tiny, pink confections.

The younger halfa looked to her 'cousin', since she had no idea who this ghost was. Danny thought about it. "...Actually, I think that was one of those one-time hiccup things."

"No. You can't hiccup outside of time. You can't breathe, either. Hadn't you noticed?"

"Oh." He, actually, hadn't noticed, but he didn't bother answering the question out loud. All of Clockwork's questions were really rhetorical, anyways, since he already knew the answers. The boy took the marshmallow and went to the window. He practically glared at his family's neon sign as he chewed and pictured Mr. Lancer's last English lesson.

"Again, huh?" Ellie repeated, watching the older halfa lean out the window.

"Hiccups are contagious, for halfas," The old ghost explained. "When Danny got them, you caught them."

"Hiccuping forces halfas to switch forms, uncontrollably," Danny reiterated, before showing the girl how to get rid of the cursed things. Finally, he turned back to his friend, almost nervously. "So, why are you here, anyways? It's not...?" He didn't finish. He didn't need to.

"No. Your alternate self is gone. He is no longer a possible outcome."

"Oh," Danny smiled, relief written, deeply, across his features. "So, I never have to live with _Vlad_." He practically spat the name, as Ellie shivered at the thought.

"No. That is still entirely possible." Danny tensed. "But, highly unlikely, depending on the course of the next few days." The boy relaxed, again.

"...Wait. What's going to happen in the next few days?"

"You will see. As for now, would you like to know what's been going on for the _previous_ few days?"

* * *

"So, we're all in agreement," General Holloway said, looking to the men around the room. "The mission begins at twenty-two hundred hours, tonight."

Les, Mike, and Clark sat on the other side of the room, out of the adults' way, but still allowed to be present, since the mission only existed because of their findings. One man sat at the end of the table, looking at the few files Clark had been able to snag from the G.I.W.'s database, before Skulker had attacked. The green-eyed geek watched over the man's shoulder, since he hadn't been able to look through all of the records, himself, before they'd gone to Mikey's dad.

Then, he gasped, feeling as though he might be sick. The man operating the computer, who was just as surprised, raised his hand, for the others' attention. "Sir, we may need to begin the operation sooner than that," He said, urgently, turning the screen so that the others could see. They gasped, disgusted by the images of what the G.I.W. had done. Lester was right, they _were_ demons.

General Holloway was the first to recover. "Alright! Change of plans! Mission starts in twenty minutes! Grab your gear! Move!"

They did.

* * *

After Clockwork left, the halfas finally came down the stairs, finding Jack Fenton doing needlepoint on the couch, while an ectopus slept, curled up next to him. "MORNIN', KIDS!" He called. "DANNY-BOY, YOU FELL ASLEEP PLAYING WITH YOUR CASTLE, SO I PUT YOU BACK IN YOUR BED. THOSE RINGS THAT SHOW UP WHEN YOU CHANGE FORMS ARE _COLD_."

"Uh..." Danny droned, turning to Ellie. Clockwork had told them that his parents knew about their ghost halves, but it still sounded bizarre. "...Thanks, Dad."

"HEY! YOU'RE LUCID! GUESS THIS MEANS I'M NOT PUMPKIN-BEAR, ANYMORE! TOO BAD. IT WAS STARTING TO GROW ON ME," The big man beamed.

"Uh, yeah. I guess so..."

 _||Pumpkin-Bear?||_ Danny thought, sharing a look with his clone/cousin. Something told them the Stopwatch had left out a few details.

"WELL, COME ON DOWN! YOU'RE MOTHER'S ALMOST GOT BREAKFAST READY!" The younger two shrugged and followed the man into the kitchen. "HEY, MADDIE! LOOK WHO'S SPEAKING ENGLISH!"

The redheaded woman turned, then beamed, rushing over to hug her son. "Danny! Are you feeling better, Sweetie?" She asked, looking him over and feeling of his head.

"Uh, yeah, Mom. I feel fine," Danny assured.

"I'm glad," She smiled, kissing him on the forehead. "And, Ellie, Dear, how are you feeling," The woman added, stooping down to check the smaller halfa over.

"Um. I'm okay, Mrs. Fenton." The poor girl seemed completely lost.

"Well, I'm glad for that, too. You kids might not remember it, but you've had quite the time, for the past week."

"Wait. Did you say 'week'?" Danny asked, suddenly realizing that Clockwork's definition of 'a few days' might be a little different than his own. "What day is it?"

"Friday, silly," His mother answered, ruffling his hair. "Don't worry, though. Thanks to your friends, and, believe it or not, some of your _enemies_ , you didn't miss any school." Something else Clocky'd failed to mention.

"Really? What happened?"

"Ecto-Activity was deemed too high, after several attacks on the school. One of them was you, by the way, Danny. But, Jazz says Ember started it. They gave everyone the rest of the week off, just to be safe."

"Really?" Ellie asked.

"What did I do?" Danny added, cautiously.

"Destroyed the school library," She stated, as though it were completely normal. (Though, they _were_ in Amity Park.) The boy winced, half-expecting a grounding. "Oh, but don't worry about it, Sweetheart. You were delusional, at the time. You didn't understand what was happening."

Danny seemed relieved. Then, he tensed. "Wait. I was delusional? At school? And, I used my powers in the library?"

"Yes, but Jazz and Ember were the only ones who saw it."

"ON THE UP-SIDE, THE _FENTON SUSPENDERS_ HELD OUT, SO YOU DIDN'T FLY AWAY."

"...I tried to fly away?"

"Flapping your arms, like a chicken," Jazz said, walking into the room, and kissing her brother on the top of his head.

"Hey," He complained, though they both knew he didn't really mean it.

"Glad to see you're feeling better, little brother." She knelt down in front of Ellie, just as her mother had, and ruffled the little girl's hair, grinning. "And, how about you, 'Princess Crayon'?"

"...Huh?" The little girl said, for the third time that day.

"Hey, Guys!" Tucker called, as he, Sam, and Valerie came in the front door.

"Brought some more stuff for the siege," Valerie said, she and Sam revealing their backpacks full of toys.

Danny turned back to his sister. "...Are you sure _they're_ not the delusional ones?"

Suddenly, the newcomers dropped their things, in shock. "Danny!" They shouted, rushing over to hug him.

"Can somebody please explain what's going on!? Because, I think that clock-guy left out some important details!" The smaller halfa cried, exasperated, only to be swept up into the group-hug, herself.

"Ellie!"

* * *

Somewhere, in the woods, outside of the city, an alarm sounded.

"Execute Evacuation Protocol E-27! All digital records are to be sent to the safe-house database. All physical records are to be destroyed, at any and all costs!" A white-clad agent shouted, setting fire to an entire desk, filled with papers. Another agent set fire to a shelving unit, as his coworkers ran around, him, destroying what they could.

On the other side of the steel, record room door, a veritable war was being waged. The invading Marines fought hard against the G.I.W., but they were pretty evenly matched, if only because the agents outnumbered them. One white-suited man finally managed to open the armory doors, retrieving the G.I.W.'s human weapons, since, until that point, they'd been fighting the Marines with ecto-guns.

A soldier grabbed the agent and slammed him against the record room door, with so much force that it shook the the flaming furniture in the other room. A large, fiery shelf fell over on one of the agents inside, and he cried out, unable to free himself. But, the others were too busy to help him.

* * *

Outside the building, a young teenager dismounted a stolen four-wheeler. Fire, smoke, and screaming filled the air. Just behind him, his two best friends pulled up.

"Clark! Wait!" Mike whisper-screamed, jumping off the vehicle, as his dark-haired friend sprinted towards the back of the building. The redheads chased after him. Though, Mikey was a bit slower, because of his short legs, and because they were still unsteady from barely being able to hang on, while riding behind Lester.

 _||Just a little closer,||_ Clark thought, ducking behind some trees, just as a group of agents came screaming out of the building chased by gunfire. He waited for them to go by, followed by a group of soldiers, who seemed to be getting the upper-hand. It was only nine in the morning, but he was grateful for the trees overhead, giving him shadows to hide in. Les and Mike joined him, just before he could make a break. They could hear Skulker screaming curse words from inside the jar that was still in Les's bag, seeming to grow more irritable, the closer they came to the building. How had they forgotten to show the ghost to Mikey's dad?

"Clark! Are you crazy!?" Mike shook him by the shoulders. A burning section of the building collapsed, and the boys jumped. Clark pushed his friend away, taking the opportunity to get closer. The others followed, shouting and gunshots ringing out all around them. The green-eyed geek finally stopped just inside a patch of bushes, around fifteen yards from the back of the building. He pulled out Lester's laptop, (since the government was holding his as evidence,) not bothering to hide his actions from the people inside, as he hacked into the mainframe. They had bigger things to deal with than him, at that moment.

"As much as I hate to admit it, I think Mike's dad was right, when he told us to stay home, and let the professionals handle this," Les panted, obvious fear in his voice. "What are you _doing_?" He asked, incredulously, dropping his bag on the ground. The jar with Skulker in it rolled out.

 ***Boom***

The trapped ghost stopped cursing just long enough to look at his surroundings, through the glass, and gasp. "What do you children think you're doing!?" He cried, before continuing in his melee of inappropriate language.

Clark didn't answer. He knew none of them had seen the laptop's screen, and he couldn't put it into words, without getting sick. So, instead, he focused on his task.

Suddenly, the group heard an explosion, from inside, and the redheads and tiny ghost jumped. Clark, on the other hand, seemed to expect it. He let out a small cry of triumph, before setting back to work, just as Skulker stopped swearing.

"What was that?" Mike asked.

"Clark, what did you do!?" Les grabbed the dark-haired boy's shoulder.

Clark met his eyes, a fire burning in them that neither of his friends had ever seen, and Les backed off, slightly. "I'm stopping this madness, once and for all," He replied, darkly.

Mike and Les looked at each other, then back to their friend. "...How can we help?"

"Les, watch for Agents coming this way. Mike," Clark paused in his typing just long enough to point to the nearest window, "Watch that window, and tell me if anything happens." They did as he'd asked. Clark didn't allow himself to relax, until he heard the buzzer of the cages inside being unlocked and the metallic rattle of the doors opening.

"Something's happening," Mike reported. The boys looked up, just as the green glow around the bars of the window began to dim, then disappeared.

Then, the ghosts inside began escaping. Some of them helped the injured ghosts out of the building, as others joined the fray.

"What happened to them?" Lester asked, horrified, as Mike tried not to throw up. "They look like they've been autopsied. Or,-"

"Dissected," Clark finished, barely holding in his breakfast.

"Release me! I must help them!" Skulker demanded, squeakily.

Mike was about to protest, but Clark spoke before he could. "Do it."

"WHAT!?"

"Let him out. The device is out of commission, his suit's just inside the building, and the others need help."

"But, he's a villain!" Mike argued. But, for some reason, Clark wasn't having it. He tossed the computer to the side, carelessly, diving for the jar, as his friends tried to stop him. They struggled for several moments, before Clark finally loosened the lid just enough to set the little ghost free. "Clark! What are you doing!?"

* * *

Skulker had never felt so aggravated, in his entire existence. And, it only got worse, the closer they got to the accursed, white building. Why did those lunatic children keep _going there_? Didn't they understand that those people were _monsters_?

Well, the green-eyed one seemed to get it. Skulker knew, the moment he heard the explosion. Everything seemed so much clearer, even in the midst of the battle that surrounded them. _Of course_ , it had been a machine. It explained so much. And, this little child had destroyed it, and, likely, saved the entire Ghost Zone.

What was with all the heroic children, in this town?

The boy, obviously, knew what he'd done. As soon as he'd freed the other ghosts, he had told his friends to release the hunter, even though he'd threatened them, not twenty-four hours before. But, the other children weren't so understanding. The three boys struggled over his glass prison, for several moments, before the green-eyed one - What did they call him? Cluck? - Finally managed to free him.

Skulker flew away, as quickly as he could. For possibly the first time ever, he was grateful to be so small. He looked like just another ecto-blast, as he sped through the collapsing building. He whizzed through the smoke, dodging stray shots and falling debris, with no one paying him any heed, until he finally located his battle-suit.

The white-clad monsters had already begun to disassemble it, studying its mechanics. But, thankfully, they hadn't gotten very far, and it took the hunter only a few minutes to put it back to working-order.

Then, it was _his_ turn to join the fun.

* * *

Danny sat on the living room couch, next to his 'cousin'. The others sat around them, Marty curled up in Sam's lap, letting himself be petted. The ectopus seemed to be over his own cold, though no one was rushing to return him to his home dimension.

"So, let me get this straight," The older halfa started, pointing to himself and Ellie. " _We_ spent the last week completely delusional." The others nodded.

"Yep," Jazz confirmed.

"Oh, _so much_ ," Tucker emphasized, propping his head in his hands.

Ellie pointed to the Fenton parents, joining in. "Because, _you two_ built a device, called the _BOO-ger_ , and it made us all sick and loopy."

"I'm afraid so," The mother replied, almost guiltily.

"So, _you_ ," Danny pointed to Tucker, "pretended to be sick, so you could stay home and watch Ellie." He pointed to Sam, Jazz, and Val, "And, _you three_ took me to school, anyways."

"Uh-huh," Sam answered.

Ellie pointed to herself, "Then, _I_ got a new set of powers," She pointed to Tucker, "and destroyed _your_ house."

"The insurance is gonna cover it," He said, nonchalantly.

Danny pointed to himself, "And, _I_ , along with _Ember_ , _Box Ghost_ , and _Skulker_ , destroyed half the school."

"Not half. Only forty-six percent," Jazz pointed out.

"That's pretty close to half, Jazz," He argued.

"And _those three_ are the only ghosts anyone's seen, for the past week, because, _miraculously_ , nobody saw me or Danny, in all that chaos," Ellie continued. The others nodded.

"Except for _you_ ," Danny pointed to his father, who grinned, almost-sheepishly. "Because, you saw me transform, Monday, when Jazz was taking a shower and Sam was asleep."

"IT WAS A SURPRISE, TO SAY THE LEAST."

"And, _you_ ," He pointed to Valerie, "saw me freeze Skulker solid, in Math class, and had to reveal the fact that you've known, for two months."

"...Kinda..." The huntress admitted.

"Then, _you guys_ ," Ellie pointed to the teenaged girls, "lost Danny, and he spent half the day with the AV Club."

"Geek Squad," Tucker corrected.

"Whatever," she waved him off.

"And, _Skulker_ spent three days trying to kidnap me, for reasons unknown. Then, he just _disappeared_?" Danny finished.

"Pretty-much," Sam confirmed.

An awkward silence spread between them, as the halfas processed this. Then, finally, Ellie spoke. "...Well... I guess, I'll get out of your hair, now," She said, somewhat sheepishly, standing and looking down at her feet.

"Ellie," Danny started. But, before he could continue, the little girl had her arms around his neck. He hugged her back. When the girl let go, floating before him, preparing to fly away, she found herself surrounded by Team Phantom and the Fenton parents. She looked around at all of them. "You don't have to leave, y'know," Danny continued. The others smiled.

Jack rested an enormous hand on his wife's slim shoulder, and she placed her hand over his, neither taking their eyes off the littlest halfa. Then, they stepped forward, kneeling to her level, as she landed. "Ellie, I-" Maddie started, searching for the words.

"We know you don't really know us," Jack said, gently. (So gently he was actually in lower-case letters.) "But, you know our children. You know they care about you."

"Sweetie... We know things haven't been easy for you," Maddie took the girl's hand in hers. "The others told us about... about Vlad." Ellie winced, as did everyone else, at her reaction. "But..."

"But, we want you to know that you always have a place, here," Jack picked up, hooking a meaty finger under her chin, to meet her gaze, when the girl suddenly found the carpet incredibly interesting. "We don't care where you came from. We don't care if you're a clone, a human, a ghost, a halfa, or something we don't even know about." He sent a meaningful look to his son, as the girl wiped at one eye, trying to hide the tears threatening to leak out. Maddie took both of her hands. "But, we know that _we_ care about you, too," The man continued.

"We don't want you to feel like you have to, Dear," Maddie explained. "But, if you want to stay with us, - Or, even, visit, once in a while, - we want you to know that you'll be welcomed."

"With open arms," Jazz said, coming up behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Danny did the same. And, soon, the girl was surrounded by the entire group, no longer trying to hide her tears.

Ellie looked up at the people who were offering her a real home. A real _family_. "You... really mean it?"

"You better believe it, Baby," Jack grinned, tearing up, himself. Other affirmatives rose around the circle, just as quickly.

"Well, Sweetheart?" Maddie started.

"Whaddya say, Ellie-Belle?" Danny picked up.

"Do you wanna be a Fenton?" Jazz finished.

The tiny half-ghost didn't answer. She couldn't. She dove into Jack's stomach, attacking both Fenton parents with a bear hug to rival one of Jack's own. She released her grip just long enough to turn and reach for the others around her. Soon, they were one enormous group-hug, in the middle of the _FentonWorks_ living room. "I'd love to," She finally croaked.

A few minutes later, they were all sitting around the house, talking, laughing, and swapping stories from the past two years. (Mostly the ones the others had missed.) Then, someone turned on some music, and Tucker, Sam, and Valerie stood against one wall, watching the newest Fenton dancing with her big sister. Soon, Jack and Maddie parents joined in. Danny walked over, rubbing the back of his neck, in that way of his.

"Hey, uh, Sam?" He jabbed a thumb towards the impromptu dance-floor. "Yoooouuu wanna dance?" He dragged out, somewhat awkwardly.

"Sure," She smiled, taking his hand and practically dragging him to the center of the room.

"Lovebirds," Valerie and Tucker snorted, at the same time, then looked at each other.

"So," Valerie started, slowly. "That was really sweet."

"Yeah. They may be a little strange, at times, but the Fentons are all bighearted," He smiled, watching his best friend cut in between his two sisters, to dance with his younger one. Sam and Jazz just shrugged and started dancing next to each other.

"If they didn't ask, I was going to," Valerie said, shrugging. "But, that's not what I was talking about."

"You were?"

"Are you kidding? Have you _seen_ her puppy-dog-eyes? Besides, I've always wanted a little sister... Not sure how my Dad would've taken it, but I doubt he would've turned her away," She smiled, watching Danny and Ellie spin each other around, laughing. Then, Danny tripped over his own feet, and the two went tumbling, giggling all the way down. Soon, the whole room was laughing with them.

"Wait," Tucker said, finally. "Then, what _were_ you talking about?"

The Huntress nudged his shoulder with hers. "You babysitting the halfas, when they were sick. Jazz told me how much trouble they were, the afternoon they left you on your own," She explained, smiling.

"Oh, that," He blushed. "Yeah, well. Have you _seen_ their double-puppy-dog-eyes?"

"You were gonna ask, too, huh?"

"Yeah," He admitted, seeming a little disappointed. "Pretty sure Sam had similar plans. Though, knowing her, she was probably gonna hide Ellie in the guest room, and never let her parents know about her."

" _Why not_?"

"Firstly, they think Danny's a bad influence. And, I don't know if you've noticed, but Ellie looks a little bit like him," He explained. "And, secondly, she probably figures that, if they had another daughter, they'd just try to force her to wear frilly dresses, all the time. Like the ones they try to get Sam to wear."

Valerie nearly choked on her soda. " _Frilly_? You're kidding, right?"

"Mostly pink ones. With flowers," Tucker smirked.

"Have they _met_ her?"

"Oh, they've met her. They just don't _understand_ her. They want her to be all prim and preppy, like them."

The party went on, until long after Sam, Tucker, and Valerie had to go home. Jack and Maddie stood, hugging, in the kitchen doorway, watching their three children snuggle together on the couch, sound asleep. They'd worn themselves out, celebrating.

One by one, they carried the kids up the stairs, tucking them in, and kissing them on the head. Ellie looked like a doll in Jack's giant arms. They'd already decided that the guest room would be hers. They would work on making it more her style in the morning, though. They'd worn themselves out, too. They had a lot to absorb. And, a lot to make up for. But, they knew, things would be better, from then on.

* * *

"Are you sure this'll work, boys?" The General asked, unhappily.

"It worked on Skulker, Sir," Lester pointed out, showing him the now-empty jar. "It might not be a jar, but the principal is the same."

"He has ghost-weapons on him," The man pointed out, tipping his head towards Skulker. "Why can't we use them?"

"Because, Masters is only _half_ ghost. He's also half _human_. You need something that can handle both," Mike explained.

"It's the best chance we've got, then. Alright. We'll handle Masters. But, I _mean it_ , this time, when I say ' _stay put_ '," His father warned, and the three teens nodded. They'd had enough excitement, for one day.

Or, lifetime.

The General leaned in closer to them, looking Clark in the eyes. The boy had already explained the incident at the G.I.W. base, but they were still in a lot of trouble. Especially, since they'd followed the Marines to Masters' mansion, afterwards. "You're sure about that one?" He asked, quietly, jabbing a thumb at the tiny, green blob, in the mechanical suit. The hunter stood off to the side, with the soldiers and several other ghosts, who'd joined the fight, earlier. Thanks to them, none of the Marines had been lost. Though, several ghosts had been destroyed, trying to fight when they were already injured, and plenty of agents were gone.

Clark nodded, meeting the man's gaze, confidently. "I'm positive, Sir."

* * *

 **AN: And,** ** _this_** **is the main reason this fic is rated T.**

 **Hey, everybody! :)**

 **Well, this chapter kinda bungee-jumped between fluff and angst, didn't it? I hope it was in a good way, though. And, I hope you had as much fun reading it, as I did writing it. :) For the record, this chapter and the next are what I've been aiming for, since I wrote chapter twenty-one. That was in, like, September. Maybe November. I can't remember, but it was forever ago. Glad I was finally able to get it out of my system. :)**

 **Special thanks to my friend, Scaehime, for the ideas about not being able to hiccup outside of time, and hiccups being contagious between halfas! I knew I needed to bring Clockwork into this, (I love that old Stopwatch,) and that was the perfect way to go about it! :)))**

 **Anyways, next week is the last chapter, as well as the longest chapter of the series (so far, at least)! So, prepare yourselves, 'cause that one's gonna be a doozy. I've got a lot of ends to tie together, and did my best to make sure it wasn't too wordy. :) I hope I did a good job, and didn't just make it boring. Especially, after this one...**

 **As always,  
God bless, and I hope you enjoyed! :)  
\- Ellie**


	35. 34: AP Confidential

**Chapter 34:**  
 **A.P. Confidential**

* * *

 **AN: Okay, the same basic warnings apply from last chapter. There will be brief discussions of extreme violence, and, if you know the Phandom, you know what it's gonna mostly be. I don't even know how to tell you to avoid it, other than to just skip over all the scenes with the geeks, I guess. Though, the one with them near the end of the chapter is alright. There is also a small mention of religion. It's in with the violent stuff. So, again, don't like, don't read.**

 **Okie-Doke! On with the show! I hope you enjoy! :)**

* * *

"Darn it!" Tucker shouted, as he lost for the fourth time. He and the other kids were taking turns playing a racing video game, in the _FentonWorks_ living room, while they waited for Jazz and the Fenton parents to get ready for their first-ever, fully-disclosed, ghost-kid movie night.

"BOO!" Ellie shouted suddenly, jumping up out of the screen.

Tucker shrieked in surprise, as the others in the room laughed. Then, the techno-geek recomposed himself. "Hey! She's cheating! That's not fair!"

"All's fair in love and war, Sergeant Toadstool," Danny grinned evilly.

"Sergeant To-" Tucker paused, eyes widening, as he remembered Ellie's attic tea party the previous Monday. "Wait a minute! How'd you know about that!" He shouted, as his cackling friend ran off. "Danny!" He shouted, chasing after him. The others just stayed back and laughed. "Danny! How did you know!?"

* * *

 _Two hours before..._

It was Saturday afternoon. Danny sat in his bedroom, trying to catch up on the homework that would be due that Monday, as his friends were in their own homes, likely doing the same. It was especially important, since Valerie was the only one who had turned anything in in the past week. Their group might not be the most studious, but they really did their best to turn _something_ in every day. Even if it was incomplete or horribly-done.

After struggling with a way-too-complicated, are-you-sure-this-is-eleventh-grade-math equation for twenty minutes, he finally gave up. He threw his pencil across the room in aggravation, plopping his head in his hands to ease his oncoming headache. He finally looked up, when he realized he'd never heard the pencil hit anything. Looking around, he found it frozen in the air, not two feet from him.

"Hello, child."

"Clockwork," Danny smiled. "Finally decide to let me know about my delusions?" He jabbed, grinning.

"What, you didn't watch Tucker's videos?" The ghost raised an eyebrow, though he already knew the answer.

"He took video?" The teen asked miserably. That was not a good sign.

"Of course, mine _is_ better quality," The time-ghost admitted, as a clock face appeared behind him, the hands spinning to reveal a window into the happenings of only a few days before, in the very room they were in.

" _Gumbo! Floodgates are on a roller coaster to Pluto, and I don't like_ Monopoly _!_ "

The present-day Danny just watched his non-lucid counterpart, for several moments. It was so much worse than the others had said. "...Why was I playing pirates in my underwear?"

" _Turquoise flutes play hopscotch on a trampoline! It's raining over Denver! Don't forget the marmalade!_ "

"I'm afraid even _I_ don't know the answer to that," The old ghost replied. "I thought you might like to know that there will be a very important news broadcast, tonight, and it will answer your questions about having to live with Vlad."

"~ _Home on garage sale lane! Forfeit the cabbage, and wash a pretty vase!_ ~" Past-Danny sang, in the background.

"Really? And, you can't just _tell me_ what it's going to say?" Present-Danny wondered aloud, even though he knew the answer. For some unknown reason, Clockwork found it funny to mess with him.

" _Imbecilic manatees stole the t-bone from a space-farmer! Gimme back my clown fish, Tater-Man!_ "

"Now, where would be the fun in that?" The old ghost smirked.

" _Charred horseshoes aren't for gambling!_ "

"Though, the real reason I wanted you to know," Clockwork continued, "is because, if your parents intend to adopt Ellie, they will need to talk to the man who will be speaking at City Hall. Keep in mind, he _is_ trustworthy. I just wanted to make sure you turn on the news, before you begin your movie night."

"Why would they need his help?" The boy wondered.

" _Ranch of love-bubbles. Mango of shoes. These are my topiary nightmares._ "

"She's a clone," The Stopwatch replied, as though it should explain everything.

"Yeah, I know that, -"

" _Shingles fried the warhorses!_ " Past-Danny interrupted.

"- But, -"

" _This is my Friend! My Friend! Pickle-Friend!_ " The boy in the time-portal shouted, waving around a stuffed puppy and running in circles.

"She has no paperwork. As far as the U.S. government knows, she doesn't exist. That could be a serious problem," Clockwork explained.

"Oh," Present-Danny said, finally catching on. And, with that, Danny's most-confusing friend disappeared.

"..."

" _Trophies on the rhombus have no metallic dolphins to shave!_ "

"Well, _at least_ , take him with you!" The present-day teen shouted, almost-irritably, gesturing to the embarrassing time-window.

 ***Whoosh***

 ***Clack***

The portal closed, and Danny jumped and squeaked, as his pencil hit the wall behind him, loudly. He'd forgotten about that.

* * *

 _Present-time..._

"Kids, are you ready to start the movie?" Maddie asked, entering the room with two bowls of popcorn. Her eldest daughter and husband followed with more, since Jack got his own, which was bigger than the others.

"Oh, yeah!" Danny said, still running from Tucker. He ducked under his friend's arms, jumped the back of the couch, plopped down, and grabbed the remote, jostling some popcorn out of his older sister's bowl.

"Hey!" She shouted.

"Clockwork said we needed to turn on the news, before we start movie night. Something big's going to happen," He said, switching on the TV and flipping to the local news channel, even though it was a few minutes early.

Several confused noises rose around the room. "That time-guy from yesterday?" Ellie asked, looking up at him, as the others gathered around.

"Yeah. He said that the guy who's about to talk will help us with adopting Ellie, since Vlad never made any record of her ever existing. He said we can trust him, though I'm not sure if that means ghost-wise or clone-wise."

"Could be both," Tucker suggested.

"Could be neither," Sam and Valerie pointed out at the same time, cautiously.

"Just, be careful," The goth girl added, turning to the Fenton Parents.

"We will," Maddie assured, stooping to hug her youngest daughter.

"Hey, Clockwork wouldn't steer us wrong," Danny smiled. "He might think being cryptic and confusing people is funny, but he _is_ one of the good guys." They couldn't argue with that. Well, not those of them who knew the old Stopwatch.

The group got into place, most of the kids moving to the floor, while the Fenton parents sat on the couch, next to Jazz. Ellie climbed up with them, happily sandwiched between her new parents, just as the news finally came on, the 'Ghost-Watch Special' logo playing.

"This just in," Shelly Makamoto announced, appearing on the screen. "Vlad Masters Arrested."

"WHAT!?" Nearly everyone in town shouted, as the video cut away to show their former mayor being lead to a police vehicle, in handcuffs.

"That's right, folks. The mayor of Amity Park has been caught in possession of a massive bomb. Last night, Masters revealed in a maniacal rant that the device was going to be used to destroy the city, if local paranormal-scientist and ghost-hunter, Maddie Fenton, along with her son, Daniel, refused to leave their family and live with him."

The group in _FentonWorks_ , along with the rest of the city, stared at their screens, aghast. Suddenly, the news cut to footage from the apparent take-down, the night before.

" _I WILL HAVE THEM!_ " Vlad cried, obviously _much more_ unstable than he'd been when the children had seen him the previous Sunday. Though, they supposed it was possible he had just been hiding it well. The cheese-head was on the roof of City Hall, clinging to the flag pole atop the building, with one hand. In the other, he held some kind of remote, with a big, red button on it. It did not look good. " _THEY WILL BE MINE! OR, THEY WILL BE_ _NO ONE'S_!"

"THE BOMB'S BEEN DEACTIVATED! TAKE HIM DOWN! _TAKE HIM DOWN_!" A man off-screen shouted. The footage cut, as the crazed-up fruitloop was tackled by several armed soldiers.

"Boy, Shelly," Lance Thunder began, grinning dimwittedly, as the camera zoomed out to show him sitting next to the female reporter. "I can't think of a reason someone _wouldn't_ want to live with a billionaire."

"Well, Lance, if he's _that_ crazy, I can think of a few," She replied, through her teeth. She was obviously irritated by her co-host, though she tried to hide it behind a fake grin. "Along with Masters' arrest, I doubt many will be disappointed to know that the G.I.W. have been shut down, for good," She continued, her genuine smile returning.

"That's right, people of Amity Park," Lance picked up. "According to what was found in their own database, the _Loonies_ In White aren't even a real government agency. They're just a group of people who hate ghosts, and all things paranormal. And, those 'Anti-Ecto Acts' they've been quoting aren't from U.S. law. They're from their own crazy, club rules. Man, these people need a _real_ hobby. I suggest fly-fishing."

"These people were using their illegally-gained power over this city to block all ghost-related information from leaving," Shelly continued, outraged. "No one's looked into the ghost attacks or the G.I.W.'s violent and dangerous behavior, despite innumerable reports, because they've been stopping all reports about them from getting anywhere."

"And, they've been telling the authorities in the city that everything's _already_ been reported, and that only _they've_ been given permission to handle it," Lance added.

"They've been using the cover of government agents and the threat of auditing taxes to keep us from questioning them too much." Shelly continued, obviously annoyed by the interruption. "And, all the while, they were more dangerous than the ghosts they claimed to protect us from! Just listen to this:"

The screen cut to a live feed from outside City Hall. There, on the front steps of the building, stood a group of soldiers, several ghosts, including _Skulker_ , and _The Geek Squad_. A highly-decorated Marine stepped up to the mic. "Ladies and Gentleman, I am General Michael T. Holloway, Sr., of the United States Marines," He began, seriously. "I advise any children, and those of you with weak hearts and stomachs to leave the area, or change the channel. What I have to share with you is incredibly disturbing." He paused, giving everyone a chance to comply.

"Wait," Danny said. "Michael Holloway? That's Mikey's dad!?"

"Oh, yeah. I forgot he was a General," Sam commented, off-handedly.

"You knew!?" Several people in the room asked, bewildered.

"He was at one of my parents' stupid, dinner parties!" She half-defended.

"Guys! Listen!" Tucker shouted, pointing to the TV.

* * *

"I regret to inform you that we've all been duped, by a group of people who want nothing more than to _completely destroy_ an entire species," The General continued darkly. "The G.I.W. are _not_ a government agency. They are paranormal-hunters, who have had proof, since before the attacks started, that most ghosts are peaceful, by nature. But, instead of trying to make contact with this newly-discovered species, they decided to hate them for not being human, and turn them into an enemy.

"They stole Fenton technology, using it to create their own portal into the Ghost Zone. Then, they had their scientists devise a machine which, when active, would cause any ghost within range of the signal it puts out to become extremely aggravated." A picture of the machine appeared on the projector screen, behind him. "They rigged this machine to release most of its signal just inside the Ghost Zone. And, they continued this plot, even after two more man-made portals to the Ghost Zone were activated in the city of Amity Park, all of them within reach of their malicious machine. Any and all ghosts who have come near the portals to our world have had to go through this assault on their senses, before arriving here. Few have managed to resist its call to violence. They wanted us to believe that all ghosts were evil, so no one would argue when they tried to destroy the Ghost Zone, completely."

He paused, motioning towards Skulker and the other ghosts behind him. "But, as soon as the device was destroyed, they were proven wrong. At least, in my eyes, and the eyes of the men who stand here with me, today. The G.I.W. had captured hundreds of ghosts, experimenting on and dissecting many of them, fully-conscious and without anesthetic." Some none-too-pretty images appeared on the screen. Several people vomited, and a few fainted. All of the crowd seemed absolutely disgusted, and most doubted they would sleep well, that night. True, ghosts were a bit of a nuisance, and they'd always been dangerous. But, not one human in Amity Park had ever been killed in a ghost attack. Actually, hundreds of human lives had been _saved_ from both ghostly and non-ghostly disasters, by Danny Phantom. Most of the humans would be happy enough, if the creatures just stayed in their own world. But, no one deserved _that_.

"Most of the injured fled, assisted by other ghosts," The General continued. "But, many stayed to help in the fight. At least one of the ghosts on stage with me now, would've been considered a villain, only yesterday. But, today, I can confidently tell you that these ghosts are heroes. They fought alongside myself and my men to take down the G.I.W., saving the lives of their people, as well as all of ours."

A reporter in the crowd spoke up. "How did they save _us_?"

"The Ghost Zone and our world are interconnected. They create a balance with each other. If one is destroyed, the other will go with it. If the G.I.W. had succeeded in their plans, none of us would be standing here, right now. In fact, several of the ghosts who helped us were lost in the battle to take the G.I.W. down, only hours ago. Many were destroyed fleeing or saving the lives of the soldiers who came to rescue them." Those on the stage (as well as a few in the crowd,) removed their hats and bowed their heads, in reverence to their lost comrades. It didn't matter that they'd only known each other for such a short time. Battling a deadly enemy, alongside a stranger, - Putting your life in their hands, and theirs in yours, even for a moment, - It was a lot different than chatting it up with the new guy, at work.

"How did the G.I.W. intend to destroy the Ghost Zone?" Another reporter asked.

"The G.I.W. have been using their ill-gotten pull in this town to spy on everyone here. By now, I'm sure you've heard of Vlad masters' arrest, and his plans to destroy the town." Several people in the crowd, who hadn't heard, gasped. "The G.I.W. had plans to steal his device, amplify its power, and release it into the ghosts' world."

"General Holloway," A female reporter called. "Were you involved in the capture of Vlad Masters? Can you tell us how these conspiracies were uncovered?"

"I was. And, I can. But, I think these three would be better suited to explain. These are the young men who uncovered both incidents. Lester Schwartz, Clark Reuben, and my son, Michael Holloway, Jr." He stepped aside, motioning for the Geek Squad to step forward. The boys seemed too shy to move. But, after taking another look at the disgusting images still on the screen, a new resolve shone in Clark's eyes. He approached the mic, his friends finally finding the courage to follow.

"It all began, two weeks ago, when we overheard several G.I.W. agents talking about two teenagers getting hit by stray shots from one of their weapons." The green-eyed boy started. "They claimed the kids had been uninjured, but we clearly heard the so-called 'agents' also say that the weapon was untested and experimental. They had no idea of what long-term effects it would have on a human."

Les stepped forward, now. "We've always suspected that something was off about these people. But, at first, we assumed that the danger citizens were in was caused by the ghosts, and the G.I.W. were just doing their best in a difficult situation. We hoped that what seemed like it was their fault was just taken out of context. But, when they saw two civilians hit by an experimental device, not knowing what would happen, and had no remorse, there was no question. We began looking into the group."

* * *

Back in _FentonWorks_ , Sam gasped. "It was me!"

"WHAT!?" The others shouted, again.

"It was last Friday, while Danny was fighting Technus! I saw one of the agents - Er, fake-agents - aiming for Danny!"

"How did _you_ get hit, then!?" Mrs. Fenton asked.

"Because, I left my blaster in my backpack, so I panicked, and threw a rock at his head! He fell down, and the thing went off! It didn't hurt. Just flashed and scared me. I've been hit with ecto-blasts before, so I just assumed..." She trailed off.

"Then, who was the other person who got hit?" Tucker asked, concerned, as Maddie stooped down next to Sam, to check the girl over.

"I- I don't know! I thought I heard the thing go off twice, but I didn't see anybody else around!"

Valerie gasped. "Wait! Desiree!"

"Huh?" The others asked.

"Wednesday! Sam and I told everybody at school that Danny was acting all loopy, because Desiree cast a spell on him! Dash Baxter asked if we'd seen Phantom! He said no one had seen him since he fought Technus, last Friday! But, Technus was the only ghost that Danny fought, that day!"

"Then, the person who got hit must be one of the people who saw Danny fighting Technus!" Jazz reasoned.

"But, I didn't see anybody else, either," Danny said. "Just Sam, Tucker, some agents, and two guys in a news helicopter."

"Maybe the news crew caught it," Ellie suggested.

"Maybe so," Her new mother agreed. "Danny, if you're feeling up to it, maybe you should go take a look at those tapes, after the people in the news studio have gone home, tonight."

"...Are you telling me to use my powers to break into a building?"

"Yes. I am." She pulled out some type of mini-scanner, running it up and down in front of the goth girl. "Sam seems to be alright," She noted. "But, I would feel a lot better if we knew what to watch out for. I would rather see the actual device, but I doubt the G.I.W. left anything in one piece. They likely destroyed everything incriminating, when the authorities arrived. So, this is our best bet. Besides, I wouldn't want you anywhere near there. Who knows what kind of booby-traps they left behind."

"Okay, then," The blue-eyed teen agreed, somewhat dazed. It was an awful lot to take in, and there was still more coming.

* * *

"Why didn't you report the incident to the authorities?" The second reporter piped up, back at City Hall.

"We intended to, but hoped to get some kind of proof, first," Mike explained. "We never did. But, by the next day, we'd seen enough to know that these people had near-complete control over the information that came in and out of our town. Reporting it, without finding a way to go over their heads, would have done no good. It would only serve to alert the G.I.W. to what we knew and what we were trying to do." No need to mention anything about looking into the Fentons, or about Danny's... _condition_. It might put him in danger.

"Who were the kids who got hit?"

"We don't know," Les replied darkly. "We weren't there when it happened, and no one was able to find any records of it in what's left of the G.I.W.'s database. If there were any, they were likely destroyed."

* * *

Team Phantom breathed a collective sigh of relief. At least, they didn't have to worry about the entire town knowing about Sam. That meant their main problem would be finding the other person who'd been hit.

* * *

"How did you find out about the mayor?"

"That was, actually, by accident," Mike admitted. "While we were looking into the incident with the G.I.W., -" He resisted the urge to glance back at Skulker. He didn't want to put the ghost in danger. Masters/Plasmius was powerful, in either form. And, he couldn't reveal that the man was half ghost. Not yet. His father had advised them to keep that part under wraps, until they knew how people would react. It could result in attempts on the man's life, - Er, half-life? - before his trial. "- we overheard some ghosts talking about Masters' plan," He lied.

"If the ghosts aren't evil, and they knew about the bomb, why didn't they do anything to stop it?" One reporter asked accusingly. Clark was on her, like feathers on an evil, demonic chicken.

"Because, Masters ghost-proofed the bomb, in case Phantom tried to stop him. And, they couldn't go to the humans, because no one would've believed them, even if they'd managed to find someone who wouldn't run away screaming," The green-eyed boy half-lied, (he was getting good at that,) with an authority that didn't match his short stature, or his baby-face. His expression was almost comical, but it shut the reporter up.

In truth, none of the ghosts had known about the bomb. Not even Skulker. The boys had only found out, while they were spying on the unstable mayor, with their drone. And, they'd still only managed to figure that out, when they read about the G.I.W.'s plan's to steal Masters' device.

"Who were the ghosts you overheard?"

The teens looked at each other. "We would rather not divulge that information, for their own safety," Les replied, firmly, just as Mike's father had advised.

"When did you learn of the G.I.W.'s plans to destroy the ghosts' world?"

"Wednesday. Standing outside of their base, hoping to see something that would give us a clue, Clark's laptop connected to their wifi. Apparently, they'd sent out the information to everyone on their network, and suddenly some of their files were downloading themselves to Clark's computer. Apparently, anyone with a wifi-enabled device could've gotten the same information, had they been within range. Their near-nonexistent security was just another clue that they weren't with the government," Mike half-lied. Using their wifi to get to their database was bad enough, and was just barely admissible in court. No need to mention the whole technically-illegal hacking thing. They hadn't even told the General about that part, though they assumed he already knew. "The data we received was incomplete, but the implications they made were enough for my father to get a search warrant. When he and his men arrived at the G.I.W.'s base, the people inside refused to let them in. When the soldiers pressed, the agents became violent," Mike explained.

"How did you discover the device that supposedly makes ghosts belligerent?"

"Records of it were in the information we received from the G.I.W.'s database," Clark responded.

"So, have you actually been inside the G.I.W.'s base?"

"No. We stood in the trees, just outside of it. Their security was terrible, so the main problem we had was remaining unnoticed. We had only hoped to see or overhear something that could help. But, God must've been looking out for us, because we got exactly what we needed to put a stop to this madness," Les answered.

* * *

The screen cut back to the studio. "So, all this time, the ghosts just needed a _Snickers_ bar?" Lance said, seeming almost disappointed. Shelly nearly choked on her coffee.

"Uh, Lance," The cameraman's disembodied voice called.

"Yeah?"

"We're live."

"...Oh... Oops," He said, adjusting his hair and tie.

" _Well_ , with ghosts like Danny Phantom around, I think we can all agree that not _all_ ghosts are evil," Shelly picked up, catching her breath and regaining her composure.

"Not sure I would trust just _any_ ghost, but I sure hope things'll calm down, now that the G.I.W.'s angry-machine is out of commission," Lance noted, leaning in to be center of the screen, his chair bumping against Shelly's. The newswoman glared at him.

"That's right, Lance," She said, bumping him back, his chair flying out of the camera's view.

"Whoa!"

 ***Crash***

"No fair!" Lance whined, from somewhere off-screen.

The anchorwoman grinned, innocently, claiming the center of the desk. "Well, if what the General says is correct, it looks like Amity Park may be the first city to become allies with ghosts. How's _that_ for exciting? I wonder how things will go, now that the rest of the world will actually _hear_ about our paranormal activity. Hopefully, there'll be more on that, later. For now, I'm Shelly Makamoto, -"

"- And, I'm Lance Thunder! -" The male newscaster called, still out of sight.

"- And, this has been Ghost-Watch."

 ***Click***

Danny switched off the TV, as he and the others stared at the blank screen, their mouths agape. "...So... What do we do, now?" Tucker finally asked.

"...Anybody want pizza?" Jack offered. Several affirmatives rang out around the room.

"But, how are the cops gonna hold Vlad, if he can just walk through walls?" Ellie wondered aloud, trying to hide her anxiety.

Suddenly, the chill that came with a ghostly presence filled the room. Everyone went for the nearest weapon, (some of which were their own hands,) out of reflex. "That won't be a problem."

"Clockwork!" The first three members of Team Phantom shouted.

"So, tell me, again, why you couldn't just tell me all this, earlier?" Danny asked. He was ignored.

"Your 'Geek Squad' knows that Vlad is a half-ghost," The old time-keeper informed, instead.

"WHAT!?" The people in the room shouted, for the third time in the past hour.

"So, all of his, erm, _accommodations_ are resistant to both humans _and_ ghosts." The others looked relived.

"So, we don't have to worry about him coming back?" Ellie asked hopefully.

"No, child. He's gone, for good." The little girl relaxed, and hugged her new brother. "The geeks also know that Danny and Ellie are ghosts."

" _WHAT_!?"

"But, they're under the impression that you're full-ghosts, and are completely unaware of your secret identities. For now."

" _Again_ , you couldn't tell me this sooner, _why_?"

"Because, it could have upset the timeline."

"How would me knowing two hours sooner effect anything?"

"...Alright. Maybe I just like messing with you. Besides, if you'd known about the videos at the news station sooner, you might've tried to gain access earlier than you should." The boy opened his mouth to protest, but was interrupted. "And, even if I'd told you only part of the situation, it wouldn't have made any sense, without knowing the rest."

"To be fair, it doesn't make too much sense, knowing all of it," Tucker pointed out.

"...So, what should we do about the geeks?" Sam asked, concerned.

"Nothing." Again, the people in the room seemed ready to protest. But, before they could, another time portal opened before them, flashing through moments from the past week. The kids were clearly involved in some of them, but had absolutely no idea that the geeks had been there. And, poor Danny didn't remember _any_ of it.

* * *

 ***Whoosh***

"So, which is it? Is a person, who says they're a spy, a real spy or a fake spy?"

"We're going to need more information."

 ***Whoosh***

"I know what I saw."

"Dude, do you have any idea how crazy that sounds?"

"I _know_ what I saw."

 ***Whoosh***

"And, why would they need a tank?"

"I dunno- 'Delusional'. I heard 'delusional'."

"And, Gray said 'mind'. Some kind of gas that effects the brain, do you think?"

"Wait. Did he just say 'cockroaches'?"

"And, 'sick'. I definitely heard 'sick'."

 ***Whoosh***

"Guys, I-"

"She was stuck in a tree!"

"Hit the deck!"

"BEWARE!"

 ***-ACHOO***

 ***Whoosh***

"It's definitely interesting. And, she goes by 'Ellie', now."

"Buffalo Kid."

"That's nice, Danny."

The group in _FentonWorks_ watched, in horror, as Danny's head spun around backwards, to look at a thoroughly-terrified Clark.

 ***Whoosh***

"But, judging by Danny's behavior the past few days, I'm worried that whoever it is might've already completed the device. And, I'm afraid they might've _tested it_ on Danny."

 ***Whoosh***

"What did you see? The sooner we know, the sooner we can start on making it right."

"...I think Danny Fenton is a ghost."

 ***Whoosh***

"Please, Danny. If they're threatening you, we can protect you."

"Well, we _know_ some people who can protect you.".

 ***Whoosh***

"Just... know that you can come to us... Okay?"

 ***Whoosh***

"So, you saw the Ghost-Boy, Monday?"

"Yeah, nobody's seen Phantom, since Friday. Do you guys know where he is?"

 ***Whoosh***

"I don't trust those girls."

"None of us do, Mike. But, we gotta have proof, before we can do anything."

"I don't have proof. But, I might know somewhere we can find some."

 ***Whoosh***

The portal cut to Valerie and Sam fighting Skulker. Suddenly, while their backs were turned, Lester appeared from under a desk. He ran forward, grabbing Danny and sprinting for the door.

"How- How do you _do_ this sort of thing?"

"Marshmallow army in the trapezoid bicycle. Helicopter angels ride the monster whales."

 ***Whoosh***

"Maltese acorns bid for the honeycomb crowns... Honeycomb crowns."

"Honeycomb crowns. Right. ...Best. Day. **EVER!** "

 ***Whoosh***

The portal cut away, again. This time, to Boxy's attack on gym class. Danny was sitting down in the floor, right in the middle of the fight. Then, Mikey dove into him, saving him from a particularly nasty ecto-blast.

 ***Whoosh***

"She still lead him straight to where Danny was."

"Not to mention, the rest of the Juniors."

"If he's sick, he's likely in a weakened state. Wouldn't it have been better to call Manson to wherever she was?"

"If she was running, there was no telling where she would be, by the time Manson got to her location from the time of the call. Manson, on the other hand, would likely still be in the gym, since she wasn't running from a ghost. It's also possible that Gray didn't even know Manson was here, and was simply running for her life. Your theory is good, Mike. I hope you're wrong, but it _is_ good. But, I'm not going to condemn them, until I know, for certain, that they're a danger to Danny. If they're really not involved, it's incredibly possible that they're _victims_ in all this."

 ***Whoosh***

"Alright, Mr. Schwartz. What the heck happened?"

"We were in P.E., when Gray crashes through the doors, being chased by _The Box Ghost_ , of all creatures. Everyone starts running and screaming. Clark, Mike, Danny, and I hid behind the bleachers, and saw Stu passed out on the other side of the room. I guess he fainted. Then, he woke up, screamed, ran into the door frame, and left. Meanwhile, Manson and Gray are in the middle of the room, dodging blasts from the ghost. Clark and Mike left their ecto-weapons in their bags, in the locker room. Danny likely had some, but everyone knows he's _terrified_ of ghosts. I had mine on me, but couldn't find a way to help, without getting fried."

 ***Whoosh***

"I hate to admit it, but I think he's right. But, are we _sure_ we can't go to Mr. Lancer?"

"I want to. I have no doubt he'd be on our side. But, if he tells us to leave this alone, things could take a very bad turn. We're just going to have to be men about this. And, real men take risks, outside of strategy games. Especially, when it involves protecting a friend."

 ***Whoosh***

"Where is the ghost-child?"

"I- I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't play dumb, with me. I _know_ he was with you, earlier."

"Danny?"

"Yes! My employer is growing impatient with me! Tell me where he is!"

 ***Whoosh***

"Are you sure this is gonna work?"

"No. But, what other choice do we have? We can't just let him run loose."

"Especially when he's after Danny."

"But, what if it can't hold him?"

"LET ME OUT OF HERE, YOU LITTLE WHELPS!"

"Guess that answers that question."

 ***Whoosh***

"...Is- ...Is he even stable?"

"I've heard of mood swings, but seriously..."

"How did this not show up, during the polls?"

" **MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAHAAAAAA**!"

"What's going on!? Where'd he go!?"

"I don't know!"

"What was that flash?"

 ***Whoosh***

"What do you children think you're doing!?"

 ***Boom***

"What was that?"

"Clark, what did you do!?"

"I'm stopping this madness, once and for all."

"...How can we help?"

 ***Whoosh***

* * *

The portal closed. "I can assure you that Mikey, Lester, and Clark are, in no way, a danger to your secret. In fact, they've already gone to incredible lengths, trying to protect you. Not as the town hero, but as just another kid from school. They were under the impression that you were in danger from the G.I.W., as well as your parents," Clockwork explained. "Though, like Miss Gray, now that they know of the existence of half-ghosts, it will not take long for them to discover that Danny Fenton and Danny Phantom are one and the same. And, once they know that, it will be only a short jump to Ellie."

"So, should we just tell them?"

"The choice is yours. They will keep your secret, regardless. Though, your team already includes eight people. Would eleven be so bad?" And, with that message out of the way, the annoying clock-man disappeared, again.

"...IS HE ALWAYS LIKE THAT?" Mr. Fenton asked, somewhat dazed.

"Yep," Three of the teens replied dryly.

"...COOL! SO, WHAT'RE YA GONNA DO, DANNY-BOY?"

"I dunno. Mike, Lester, and Clark _did_ risk their lives to help me, and to save the town... Maybe I should see what they do, first."

"Well, it certainly would make talking to Mikey's father simpler. But, it's your choice, Sweetie," Mrs. Fenton said, kissing her son on the forehead.

"I like 'em," Ellie commented, floating up to hug her father's neck from behind, dangling from his shoulders.

Danny smiled. "I do, too. But, I'll figure it out, when I see them, Monday."

"I hear dat!" Tucker cried. "After all this drama and time-junk, I'm in _serious_ need of some mindless TV! So, is movie night still on, or what?" He asked, looking to the Fenton parents.

Maddie thought about it a moment, noticing how dark it had grown, outside. "Well, it's getting pretty late..."

"Awwwww," The others in the room, including her husband, chorused.

"...But, I think we could squeeze in _one_ movie." She smiled, as cheers erupted around her.

* * *

"Clark, what are you doing?" Mike asked, as his friend pulled up an image-editing program, on his laptop.

"Testing a theory," He replied, simply, importing a picture of their class from the school year book, and zooming in on Danny. His friends stood over each of his shoulders, as he inverted the image's colors.

The boys gasped, and stared.

Then, Lester took the device from his green-eyed friend. He closed the program, declined saving the file, turned off the wifi, and shut the computer off, before removing the battery. Then, he turned to his friends gravely. "This never leaves this room."

* * *

Clockwork floated in his lair, watching the three boys. Danny would come around to his secret becoming more widely-know, eventually. Though, the halfa was so full of surprises, it could happen in several ways. One of the possible timelines even involved a glowing, green asteroid.

"Everything is as it should be."

He turned to another time-window, which showed events that would take place, several hours in the future. In it, five curious people were packing for a trip, to a supposedly-haunted, little town, in Illinois.

"For now."

* * *

 **The End.**

 **...No, it's not.**

* * *

 **AN: Too wordy? Yeah, I was afraid of that...**

 ** **Hey, everybody! :)****

 **IT'S FINALLY OVER! ...Sorta...**

 **Yeah. I know. But, I seriously think the next book will be the last in this series... Probably. Well, at least Danny's in his right mind, for the next one :)) So, I hope you'll all check out book three,** ** _The Critical Crew_** **. (Stupid title. I know.)**

 **Also, I know I'm 0/2 for good endings, but, hopefully, I'll make up for it with the third book. So, please stick around :))**

 **For those of you wondering, (probably no one,) the scenes in Clockwork's flashback thingy were from chapters 14, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, and 35. (I think. I took a few out, so the list may not be perfect...) Though, you probably already knew where the last few were from :)**

 **Also, I do not own** ** _Monopoly_** **, or** ** _Snickers_** **, or (just in case I haven't said this, already,)** ** _Fruitloops_** **.**

 **As always,  
God bless, and I hope you enjoyed! :)  
\- Ellie**


End file.
